Sekinin Hiyo Duty's Cost
by Megami no Kaze
Summary: Kenshin's hermit-like master shows up, coupled with the appearance of an Imperialists daughter leads to problems that had once been lain to rest. K&K, S&M, A&M r&r plz
1. Default Chapter

Aloha readerz!. I do not and will not * tear * own Rurouni Kenshin or any of its characters. Blah blah, basic disclaimers apply; don't sue me you won't get anything… Any way, enjoy! Sorry in advance for any Japanese issues. I'm about to start my third year so I'm still rather pathetic.  Please review if you feel so inclined.

Seijuro Hiko, the 13th successor of the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu, made a curious figure as he walked down the street to the Kamiya Dojo. Tall, he carried himself with the air of one who has no reason to be wary. He was cloaked in an enormous mantle. No light could be seen from within the Dojo. It was midday. Looking up at the gates to the Dojo, he sighed and went to find a restaurant that would serve sake.

A waitress at the restaurant showed him to a table. He settled himself comfortably, and began to sip his from his cup in quiet contentment. A flash of red caught his eye. He turned his head slightly, eyes closed, and murmured, "Baka deshi. You should be practicing, or you'll never be worthy of the techniques entrusted to you."

Himura Kenshin turned around, slightly surprised by the sight of his old master. Those around him (Kaoru, Megumi, Sanosuke, and Yahiko) craned to see the speaker.

Hiko nodded to them, and motioned to the table for them all to sit. They did, talking amongst themselves.

It was later that Kenshin sat up straight, hearing a scuffle. The restaurant's quiet atmosphere was shattered as a man was thrown through the wall and onto a neighboring table. Both master and pupil reached for swords, outlawed in this new era and worn only by those who didn't care.

A woman followed through the hole, brilliant gray eyes boring into the man on the floor. Long dark hair was pulled out of her face, though it didn't prevent rebellious bangs from tickling the area from her nose to her chin; she was dressed as one who helped to entertain important clients. Her over kimono was a pale gray, accented by the silver tracery of vines and wisteria blossoms. The one underneath was a light blue. Her obi was dark gray. A long silver chain was wrapped around her waist several times, tipped at either end with a large white diamond-shaped crystal the size of a palm. If the face of this woman had not been occupied, she would have perhaps considered her guests. As it was, she glided toward the man on the floor.

The man glared at the woman, and cursed her. Even from a distance, it was obvious he had been drinking, from the reek of alcohol as well as the bloodshot eyes. The woman grabbed the man by his haori and lifted him above her head; a surprising feet for a female of her slender build. 

"Ki-sama. How dare you touch an unwilling woman?" she hissed, not caring that eyes watched her every move. 

Kaoru looked through the hole and saw a maid trembling and sobbing, large bruises and cuts on her face and arms. Kaoru motioned to Megumi, and they both went to the girl, whispering softly to her.

"How dare you touch an unwilling woman?" she repeated, her voice cold. When the man didn't answer, she brought his eyes down to her level and whispered, "Answer me."

The man quivered, and looked down. The woman dropped him in disgust, and turned back to the maid. A glint of steel caught Yahiko's eye. 

"Look out!"

Even as the words were leaving his mouth, the girl ducked. Hiko glanced at the girl's hips. As she went into a crouch, she moved them subtly, sending the chain around it lashing out and around the man's leg, bringing him to the ground.

She unwound the chain from him in disgust, and noticed he had passed out. She rolled him on his side to keep him from swallowing his vomit, and returned to the maid.

It was after dark when Kazeno Tsukiyo returned to her home. It was ten miles from town; an ancient estate left to decay in the woods. Under her hand, she had helped it to become a refuge. She looked at the moon; it was late, and the children would be asleep. She shifted her basket to a more comfortable position on her back, and moved silently through the long grasses towards the house.

She slid through the door and shut it silently. She looked in their rooms; they were all asleep, all safe. She sighed in relief as she did every night, and went into her own room.

A grass cushion was her bed. She sat on the floor and took out her two kimonos. Her brow furrowed at the sight a tear at the hem. She took out her thinnest needle and clearest thread, and carefully sewed it back together. She heard small feet come down the stairs and stop just outside of her door. She carefully folded the repaired kimono and placed it in her basket. 

"Yes?" she asked, her voice soft and gentle. A tousled head appeared in the doorway. It was a girl, her dark brown hair braided down her back. Hazel eyes were still dulled with sleep. Even at nine years old, Akiko was beautiful.

"Nee-chan. I couldn't sleep," she said. 

Tsukiyo sighed, and patted the ground in front of her. Akiko sat down as Tsukiyo unbraided her hair and began to comb it slowly.

"What's the matter, Aki-chan?" Tsukiyo asked. Aki's eyes were already drooping from the comforting feeling of fingers delicately running through her hair, bringing back memories of a mother that was some hazy figure, replaced by Tsukiyo. 

"I had a bad dream. Kaeko was restless, and Toshio still has his nightmares. I couldn't sleep tonight."

Tsukiyo murmured comfortingly, her voice smooth and whispery. Aki began to doze, listening to the constant hum of the woman's voice. After a time, she dropped off. Tsukiyo carried the girl back to her room, covering her with a worn and many times repaired blanket. She stopped by Kaeko, the young six year old who was Aki's little sister. She rubbed the girl's back as she tossed and turned, eventually getting her to sleep quietly. Toshio was across the hall. She picked him up from his bed and rocked him softly, for all that he was eight and always firm about his role as the only male in their peculiar family. In his sleep, his tears slowed, and then stopped all together. She sang to him lightly, and then put him back in bed.

She went downstairs to get a few hours sleep. She knew she would wake an hour before dawn, both to make food for the children and to leave early enough to get to work on time. She stretched out on the floor, and closed her eyes, her breathing light and body tense even in sleep.

Tsukiyo arrived at work on time. She was tying her obi when someone tapped her shoulder. It was Eriko, the maid from yesterday.

"Eriko-chan. Daijoubu?" she asked, concern on her face. The maid nodded. Her cuts were mending nicely. It was very likely that she wouldn't even have a scar to show for it. 

"Oh, I'm fine, Tsukiyo-san. But the boss wants a word with you…"

"Let him wait. Who cleaned your cuts?"

"One of the women in the group of the Kamiya Dojo Assistant Master. Takani Megumi. She's a student of a local doctor."

"Good." Tsukiyo turned to go towards the boss's room.

"Tsukiyo-san?" Eriko yelped. The woman paused. "Th-thank you very much for yesterday."

"Don't mention it." Tsukiyo murmured. She glided to where her boss sat, waiting.

"Tsukiyo-san, I realize that your actions yesterday were provoked, but still…how shall we pay for the damages? I have taken a look at your schedule, and if you work an extra hour every day, you should be able to pay off the debt of the new screen in a few months…"

"Make him pay," Tsukiyo said calmly, eyes not reflecting him but rather seeing something else far away.

Her boss choked on his sake. "Pardon?"

"That maid was serving the Police Chief. Interrupting with her service directly affected the service given to the Police Chief. He can pay for the door. And then he will think twice of beating a woman on your land. Besides, the screen will cost less than the fines for assault."

Her boss rubbed his bald crown, thinking. He nodded slightly. "I like the precedent. It will keep people from interfering with my workers, knowing that you will pay the price in both coin and blood," he murmured. Tsukiyo nodded. She stood and left.

Tsukiyo was washing her hands when a flash of hazel caught her eye. A small shape collided with her. She placed slender fingers on the girl's shoulders; they were trembling from exertion. She could feel the girl's heart hammering against her rib cage.

"Aki, what in the world-"

"Onee-sama, it's Toshio! Toshio! I ran as fast as I could! Onee-sama…!"

"Aki, why aren't you at home?" she murmured, drawing her away from the kitchen and the gossips. Aki opened her mouth, but Tsukiyo covered it. She guided the child to a changing room. She closed the door, and paused; no one had followed them. Inwardly, she breathed a sigh of relief. Her father had instilled in her the value of caution.

As she caught her breath, Aki cocked her head, watching the older woman. Tsukiyo was like a cat – she valued her privacy. She often would check to make sure no one was following her. Aki wondered what had happened in her caretaker's life to make her so secretive.

Tsukiyo nodded. Aki breathed deeply. "Toshio was sick this morning. He had a fever. I tried all of the medicines, but nothing is working. Please, you must come home! He was having trouble breathing, and Kaeko can't handle him if he has a seizure!" Aki sank to her knees. Tsukiyo passed her a damp cloth – where had that come from, Aki wondered – and opened a closet. It occurred to Aki that this was Tsukiyo's changing room. She averted her eyes as the woman put on her typical clothes, binding her chest tightly. Aki folded the kimono and put it into the small basket. She was surprised when Tsukiyo bent down.

"Get on my back. I will have to move quickly. You won't be able to keep up," she murmured. Aki nodded and clambered onto the woman's back. Her eyes widened as she felt the muscles shift under her as the woman stood.

Tsukiyo left the room to see Eriko close by, her eyes toward the ground.

"Tell the boss I have pressing matters at home. I don't expect to be paid today. I won't be here tomorrow," she said, smiling slightly. Eriko nodded, and scampered off. Tsukiyo opened a back door and left through the gardens, her stride carrying her effortlessly back home. 

"Nee-chan, has onee-sama slept at all?" Kaeko asked Aki from her nest of blankets. Aki sat up, looking at her younger sister. Moonlight drifted in through an open window, trying to air the house. In the darkness, Kaeko's gold-flecked eyes glowed. Aki shook her head. Kaeko looked down, her brow furrowed.

"Nee-chan, should we go in? She might need help…"

"No. You know how Onee-sama is. She doesn't want us to get sick. Besides…I'm sure she can handle it. It is only a fever."

Fever kept the woman locked in Toshio's room for two days. She only left to get water and herbs. She tried every cure she knew, fervently wishing she had listened to her grandmother when the hag was alive. If she had, she might remember something about how to treat fevers as well as wounds. 

On the third day, the fever let up. Toshio was able to sleep without interruption. When Aki peeked in, she thought her adopted brother looked better than the woman who took care of them. Tsukiyo's dark hair was tied into a knot to keep it out of her face. Her eyes were glassy, her body fatigued from three days with only water. She had gone with out sleep as well as food, every night staying awake, trying to recall remedies and keeping Toshio from falling too deep into illness. Tsukiyo glanced up, and all signs of weariness fell from her.

"Out, Akik-chan. I don't want you catching this too!" She barked. Aki nodded. She closed the door.

"Onee-sama, I just wanted to tell you that we have a bath ready for you," she said, knowing the woman would hear. She heard a noise from Tsukiyo; she took that as confirmation. She left to go add more wood to the fire.

Tsukiyo stretched out on her bed, breathing evenly. Light told her it was morning. Her body was well on its way to repair. She had eaten a small meal last night, not wanting to make herself sick. An hour of sleep had refreshed her. It was enough. The bath had helped as well. She was always in a better mood when clean. Her hair slithered over her bare shoulders. She was still in her binding. She smiled, and was just putting her hair into a plait when Kaeko burst into the room. Tears were in the toddler's eyes.

"Onee-sama! Toshio-kun…he's sick! He won't wake up. Onee-sama, help!" Tsukiyo swept up the child and haori, and stumbled up the stairs. Aki was standing by his door, watching him in fear. Tsukiyo pressed Kaeko into her sister's arms. 

His pulse was weak. The fever was back, this time its hold stronger on the weakened boy. Her mind raced through her inventory; she had done everything she knew, and even that had only bought her time. Her stocks were low. She had tried to sweat it out, used every herb she knew, and still it wasn't enough. She needed a doctor. But doctors cost money. She hadn't worked in several days. Not since the incident with the drunk and Eriko…Eriko! Eriko had said a woman had healed her! The student of a local doctor! She grimaced; she only had the woman's name. She didn't have time to go tramping over Tokyo searching every cranny for a woman she only knew by name! But those at the Kamiya Dojo…Eriko said she was a friend of the Assistant Master? Kamiya Dojo…she remembered the name vaguely…

She dipped down the pick up Toshio. She adjusted a sash, thrusting a curved dagger through it and twining her chain around her waist three times. Her purse she shoved into her haori. She glanced at her shoes, and chucked them. They would only slow her.

"Tie him to my back," she growled. Aki and Kaeko rushed to comply. She stood up, adjusting the unconscious boy on her back. She whirled on the two girls.

"I will be back soon. Get out those staffs I made for you; don't let any one in the house. You will have to cook for yourselves. Stay safe, stay sharp," she whispered, and, in an oddly affectionate gesture for her, kissed them on the head. They nodded, standing a little straighter. She ruffled their hair, and then darted down the stairs and out the door.

Kaoru glared at the arrogant hermit-like master. Another freeloader! Hiko ignored her and reached for the tea she had set out. Yahiko watched him closely, imitating his posture. Kenshin refused to teach him, and Kaoru was ok for a girl, but still… Hiko opened one eye.

"What are you doing, punk?" 

"Nothing," he said. Hiko closed his eyes as he took another sip.

"Can't blame you. After all, you do need a role model, and those around you are severely lacking in admirable qualities," he conceded.

Yahiko glared at him and grabbed his shinai. Kenshin smiled weakly. 

"Yahiko, this is not the time to be getting angry, de gozaru yo…"

"Kenshin! I can't believe you would say that! He is insulting the honor of the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu!" Kaoru yelped, glaring murderously at Kenshin.

"Honestly, you act like such a child, Kaoru. Perhaps Ken-san will soon tire of your company…_I _certainly know how to treat a man…"

"You stay out of this, kitsune-onna!" 

Kaoru and Megumi began to trade insults. At one point, a flying bowl hit Kenshin in the face.

"ORROOOOOOO!!!"

Tsukiyo felt a cramp start in her side. She had run for nine miles; now Tokyo was almost upon her. Her body objected as she kept up her ragged jog. She glanced at the sun; she was loosing time! On her back she could almost feel Toshio loosing his grip, loosing his fight against the fever. Cursing fluently, she picked up her pace until she was galloping through the streets of Tokyo, looking for the Kamiya Dojo.

Fate must have taken pity on the lost figure. A local pointed her in the correct direction. She sprinted down the final streets, her heart hammering in her throat.

Yahiko had left the room, choosing the silence over Kaoru and Megumi's bickering. He was surprised when a woman sprinted through the gates, breathing hard. Dark hair was dripping sweat. It was tied back in a tight braid. She shook her bangs out, sending droplets everywhere. He glanced at her feet; they were bare, and redness began to trickle between the bricks. She dressed as Kaoru did for training. Her eyes were a pale gray. They gave him a shock; she was the woman from several days ago! How the cold, deadly woman had been reduced to a runner was beyond him.

"Boy, where is Takani Megumi?" she barked. Yahiko jerked back into reality.

"What do you want with Megumi?" he asked. The woman's eyes narrowed. Yahiko felt a shiver run down his spine. He understood now how that man had been unable to reply.

"I have a sick child. He needs help," she growled. Yahiko tried to get a better look. She shook him away. 

"Wait, I'll…"

"I will speak to the owner of this Dojo right now. Out of my way," she snapped. Yahiko glared at her, and stepped in front of her.

"Boy, I don't have much time. Out of my way," she hissed, voice dripping poison. Yahiko gripped his Shinai tighter. The woman darted past him, speed unimaginable for anyone whose feet were bloody from running.

Kaoru and Megumi were glaring daggers at each other when a woman materialized in the midst of them. Both Kaoru and Sanosuke flinched; they hadn't heard anyone close by. Kenshin was still recovering from his latest war wound via one of Kaoru's rice cakes. Hiko was sipping his tea, and eyed the woman with boredom.

The woman's eyes narrowed on Megumi; she shivered under their intensity. 

"Are you Megumi Takani?" She croaked, throat dry. She felt her body succumbing to exhaustion. _Not yet, she willed. Megumi nodded. She dropped to her knees and bowed low, head touching the mats. Kaoru looked in horror at her feet; they were callused and bloody. Stones had gouged her skin, and some still were embedded in her soles. _

"Please…this child, Toshio-kun…he took fever three days ago. After two days, it broke. This morning, it regained its hold, and much tighter. He was unconscious when I got to him." She slashed at the bonds tying the child to her back, and eased him off gently. Megumi helped her stretch him out while Kenshin and Sano removed the tables and went for towels. Megumi was tying her hair back and rolling up her sleeves. Kaoru did the same.

"What were the symptoms?" Megumi asked, forgetting her quarrel with Kaoru.

"Heavy breathing. Shallow pulse. Sweating. Seizures. Inability to sleep. High fever. A dry cough. In extreme cases, unconsciousness. I would normally think fever, but none other in my house has been infected, and none of the remedies I tried worked," she replied. Megumi nodded as the woman helped her strip off the boy's shirt.

"My herbs are limited to forest paraphernalia and what I can buy. True, most of the more valuable ones are in the woods, but even those didn't work."

"I don't know what could have caused such a violent fever. Certainly I haven't seen anything like this," Megumi murmured. The woman's eyes shifted to Megumi's face, glassy. Megumi's concern shifted from the boy to the woman.

"Have you slept at all lately?"

"An hour last night. I don't need much."

"What have you eaten?"

"A bowl of rice last night. Tea for the past few days. He needed constant supervision. I wouldn't allow the others in with him."

"Why not?"

"I can survive illness; they are younger than me," she said vaguely. Megumi nodded, and then looked at the woman's feet. She winced, shaking her head slightly.

"If you would allow me to use a cloth and hot water, I could tend to my feet while you work," she said calmly. Megumi nodded as Kaoru left to get what was required. She then turned to the child.

Hiko put down his tea to find the woman giving him an intense look. She was taking in his every feature. He knew that memorizing stare. Kenshin did as well. He had seen it on the faces of spies during the revolution. Her level brows snapped together with an audible click. She nodded to him and to Hiko, and then dipped her foot in a steaming bowl Kaoru provided. She crushed a few leaves in her palm and set them in the water. A fresh scent floated in the air. She attacked her feet with the cloth, scrubbing them mercilessly. By the end of her process, there was more blood in the bowl than water.

She wrapped her feet in bandages and left the room for a moment. Yahiko was waiting in the hall, glaring at her. She smiled slightly, feeling her knees turn to water.

"Don't scowl, apprentice. Your face might stick that way," she murmured, leaning against the wall. She stumbled outside to get some fresh air. She was in the garden. She saw vegetables growing in a corner. Faces were coming closer to her, getting blurry. She recognized them as the men. She bowed to them formally, and felt her knees give. She only remembered feeling strong arms catching her before she passed out.

Kaoru was sitting next to her when she woke up with a start. Her hand went for her dagger, the other for her chain, out of instinct. She was only in her binding.

"Where is Toshio?" she asked, voice slightly less hoarse than before.

"He's in the room next to us. You passed out," Kaoru supplied, passing her a cup of tea. She was surprised to see the woman didn't sip it, rather, drank it down straight. She then stood up, not even wincing as she put weight on her feet. Kaoru passed her the pale white haori that went with her gray pants. 

"How long?" she asked, pulling it on, eyes looking for her weapons.

"An hour or so," Kaoru said, steadying her. 

"Has there been any change? Is he all right?" she asked as Kaoru led her out of the room.

"He's fine. Megumi's gotten the fever down, but she needs to stay with him. Don't worry. Come out into the garden. Get some air…"

Kaoru led her out onto the grass. The woman sank to her knees and rested against a tree, looking up at the sunlight. 

"My name is Kazeno Tsukiyo," she murmured, closing her eyes. Warm sunlight made the throbbing in her feet easier to bear. As long as she didn't think about it, they were fine.

"Tsukiyo-san, why were your feet bloody?" Kaoru asked. Tsukiyo smiled softly.

"I had to run…maybe ten miles. I couldn't wear shoes for that kind of run. I would have had splinters."

Kaoru shuddered. Tsukiyo stood up, smiling. 

"It wasn't that bad. I make that jog almost every day," she said, balancing herself against the bark. Her eyes flickered to the house. Kaoru could see Megumi's shadow moving. Tsukiyo walked over and sat just outside the sliding door, waiting and listening. Kaoru watched her for a while, and was startled when Hiko went up to her. She pulled him back.

"Don't disturb her! She's concentrating!" she hissed. Hiko picked up the sitting woman; her head lolled slightly.

"She has control of her muscles. She's been asleep for the last fifteen minutes," he said calmly. He opened a door with his foot and took her inside.

Kenshin was waiting. He watched as his old master placed the girl on her futon, pulling a blanket over her.

"What do you think? She's too strong to be some random peasant," Kenshin said. Hiko shrugged. As he and his pupil turned to leave the room, Tsukiyo sat up, eyebrow raised. They didn't even hear as she opened the door and went in the adjacent room to see Megumi.

The woman looked up, surprised to see the gray-eyed visitor on her feet. Megumi motioned to a cloth. Tsukiyo nodded, and helped to bathe Toshio while Megumi prepared a tea for him.

Tsukiyo tapped Megumi's shoulder; it was well past nightfall. She smiled.

"Takani-sama, you must rest. We cannot risk you getting sick," she said. Megumi protested, and stood up. She was a scant inch taller than the slender Tsukiyo. Tsukiyo shook her head, and, lightning fast, lashed out at the other woman's temple. Megumi fell to the ground, intercepted by the arms of the strange woman. Tsukiyo put her in bed and got out some green tea. She sipped it quietly, focusing her thought on Toshio and his recovery.

Several hours later, she heard two sounds; one was Megumi starting to wake up. The other was Toshio. He coughed; she lifted his head and let a trickle of water pass his lips. His eyelids fluttered weakly. Tsukiyo smiled, for his liquid black eyes reflected _her_, not some unknown nightmare.

"Onee-sama?" he coughed again, voice raspy. Tsukiyo pinched his lips shut and got more water. While he was awake, she had to give him as much medicine as she could with out killing him. His brow furrowed at the taste of one of the drinks. After a few minutes, she rested his head in her lap.

"Onee-sama, where are we? This place…it doesn't smell like home…I can't hear the birds or the river or the grasses…"

Tsukiyo noted the growing panic in his eyes. She also saw Megumi go for the others in the corner of her eye. She ran her fingers through his sticky hair.

"We are among friends. They are good people, Toshio-kun. Some are strong, some are wise, and some have good hearts. One of them is a lady who is treating you right now," she said, feeling many pairs of eyes boring into her. 

Toshio's eyes began to get cloudy. She gave him more tea. That brought them back into focus.

"Where is nee-chan and imoto-chan? Where are they, Onee-sama?"

"They are safe," she said softly. Toshio recognized that tone; others were listening. He coughed again, this time continuing until he was hacking up blood. Tsukiyo supported his back and helped him breath. She wiped his mouth with her sleeve. When he stopped, he shivered.

"Onee-sama…I feel like I am dying. I don't want to die, nee-chan," he whispered. Tsukiyo hugged him gently, and then rocked him back and forth, singing under her breath. His eyes, still clear, closed. He was asleep, a calm, natural sleep.

Tsukiyo turned slightly to see the other occupants. 

"I am sorry I hit you, Megumi-sama. You needed to rest. He is sleeping now. I think the fever is finally leaving him," she said, standing up. She washed her hands and opened the door. It took them a moment to realize she was leaving.

Kaoru grabbed her wrist. "Where are you going?"

"I must return to my home. I must check on the others. Toshio needs a night of uninterrupted sleep, and perhaps another day of bed rest. I trust Megumi-sama fully. I will be back to pick him up…" her eyes closed, as if in pain, "please make sure he knows I haven't left him. I will be back," she said, and twisted her wrist, breaking Kaoru's hold.

"You're in no condition to travel," Sano said from his position against the wall. Tsukiyo's mouth twitched, though whether from annoyance or amusement no one could tell. Perhaps it was both.

"You know very little if you assume that I cannot return home and back before dawn. I have eaten, I have slept. My feet are clean and wrapped. I am in very good condition," she said, eyes challenging him.

"You shouldn't go! Your feet could get cut up even worse…" Yahiko yelped. Tsukiyo raised an eyebrow, and lifted her long lashes that veiled her eyes. Yahiko shivered. 

"I will go when and where I please. I doubt you could stop me, apprentice," she said, not unkindly.

Long arms wrapped around her shoulders; Sano. "He couldn't, but I could." Tsukiyo shot a glance at Kenshin; he was looking at Sano, slightly disturbed. She tried to break his hold, struggling, and then ducked under and out, skidding out of his grasp. 

"Toshio needs you here!" Kaoru said. She received a full glance from Tsukiyo, and felt as if her heart were being torn from her. So much pain was in the glance…

"I have others I must care for. If I leave now, I can be back before he wakes up," she said, positioning herself so no one could grab her.

Yahiko darted in with his Shinai. Her hand reached for her dagger, belatedly remembering it was under Toshio's pillow as a precaution. Her fingers brushed her long chain; it unraveled around her. She sent one end snaking out around his feet, and pulled. He fell to the ground with a cry. She twitched her left wrist delicately; the chain returned to her hands. Yahiko got up, and charged. She spun the chain, keeping him at bay. She noticed his slashes were wilder now; he was tiring. She sent the chain out around his neck, and pulled him in just in time to catch the crystal at the end.

"I am stronger than you, apprentice. Do not make me get strict," she said. She backed up, and flicked the chain. It flew back to her hand and wound lovingly around her hips.

She dusted the white crystal, and was about to leave when she saw Hiko leaning against the gate. Her eyes narrowed, not from annoyance but concentration.

He was in prime condition. She would need to be at her best to fight him, which she was not. Even then, it probably wouldn't be enough. His stance was balanced; perfectly so, even at rest. That was warning enough. She met his eyes, a battle of wills taking place. 

Hiko knew her thought process. He saw the decision, knowing she knew he knew. 

He started to walk back, the woman falling into step next to him.

Sorry about the length. I couldn't find a place to cut in other wise. Well, hope you enjoyed it. Any opinions I should know about? Till next time, then.


	2. Chapter 2 Shadows

Irasshaimase! Well, I'm hoping you enjoyed the previous chapter. If you did, that's great and thanks for coming back. If not and you're just hoping that the author-ess was having a very bad day, thank you for being kind. ;P Bear with me while it gets moving. Thanks!

Tsukiyo opened her eyes blearily. A shaft of light illuminated the room. She jolted into awareness; it was well past dawn. She sat up, rushing, and noticed three different sets of clothing waiting for her. She touched the foreign material, almost frightened of it. She slid out of her soiled clothes, and avoided the first two. Both were too beautiful. She instead chose the spare practice clothes left by Kaoru. It was durable, if the pants were a little short for her five foot four. She looked out the door; the garden was empty. She sighed, and let her hair out of its constricting braid.

Dark tendrils slithered down to her waist, glinting with deep mossy accents. She leaned against a tree, breathing in the air. She smiled slightly, and had almost composed herself in these strange surroundings when she felt someone's eyes on her. She reached for her dagger, and then grimaced. She twirled her chain idly.

"What do you want," she asked. Yahiko came out from a tree.

"Why did you stop that crystal thingy from hitting me?" he asked, pouting. Tsukiyo looked at him. She was not at her best this particular morning. She did not want to be questioned by an adolescent upstart. She took a stroll through the Dojo instead.

Kenshin was gathering vegetables from the garden. Tsukiyo didn't say anything; she just bent down to wash the vegetables as he picked them. No words were needed anyway. Both recognized the need to do work for the sake that work was needed. Both recognized the sign of pained histories that were slowly healing through life.

Tsukiyo helped Toshio to his feet. He passed her the dagger. She was back in her own clothes now. Another day at the Dojo had replenished their strength. Toshio was well and she was rested. Tsukiyo had earned their keep by doing all of Kenshin's normal jobs, such as cooking and laundry. She had also cleaned the Dojo. Kaoru looked slightly unhappy; this woman's cold exterior hid a quick study with a quicker tongue, as well as a good friend.

Toshio looked better. He could walk without exhaustion, though he couldn't move quickly. 

Tsukiyo had one last thing to do in order to repay her debt.

"Toshio will lead you, if you wish. I would be honored if you would join us for a feast of sorts," she said, bowing. Toshio bowed as well, though he was eyeing his adoptive sister with interest; Tsukiyo never had much to say to outsiders. Kenshin-gumi accepted. Toshio was to lead them to the house while Tsukiyo picked up some food from town.

They split at the market place, Kenshin-gumi heading towards the woods while Tsukiyo made her way through the market, picking out food for that evening.

Tsukiyo arrived to find Kaeko and Akiko baring the entrance with their staffs. Toshio appeared to be trying to talk them around, with no success. Tsukiyo ran up, smiling slightly. She ruffled their hair.

Aki glared murderously at Yahiko. "They say they are friends. But we have our orders, and we can't let anybody in. Toshio's being an idiot, too." Kaeko nodded her agreement. Tsukiyo laughed, her eyes alight with good humor. She dipped her shoulder down and swooped Kaeko onto one shoulder, Akiko on another. She motioned for the others to follow as she entered her home hidden in the woods.

Kaoru looked at the house. Perhaps it had once been decorated with gold and silver. Now, vines blooming with pale flowers crept up the walls occasionally, each cultivated purposefully. A small kitchen was separated from the house. A river wasn't far away, serving as a clean water source. It wasn't needed. A well was in the back yard, surrounded by ancient trees. Despite its worn appearance, everything was cared for, giving an air of forlorn elegance to the abandoned home.

There were many rooms, each containing its own futon and spare blanket, along with a bucket for water. Only one room was left unfurnished. Instead of a futon, mats woven of reeds served as the bed, though similar mats were used for sitting on throughout the house. The bucket here was little more than an ancient jar, cracked in several places. She noticed an assortment of clothes and two kimonos airing. It struck her that this was Tsukiyo's refuge.

They ate that evening under the branches outside. Kenshin and Megumi had helped Tsukiyo prepare the meal, but when Kaoru had offered, she had been first politely, and then impolitely, turned away. Therefore, the second the sake was opened, she had gotten drunk.

Ayame and Suzume were playing with Kaeko and Toshio while Akiko argued with Yahiko over who was stronger; Kenshin or Tsukiyo.

Sano and Megumi had gone through periods of arguing and pouring sake for the other, providing entertainment for those who were not arguing or trying to get Kaoru sober.

Tsukiyo sat next to Hiko, looking at the stars that peeked through the leaves. He was reaching for another bottle of sake when she poured him some. He smiled slightly and drank on.

Tsukiyo noticed her boldness, and said, "I am Kazeno Tsukiyo."

Hiko eyed her, not giving a comment of disapproval or approval of the haori that showed a fair amount of her bound chest, and said, "I am Niitsu Kakunoshin."

Kenshin looked over Kaoru's head and raised an eyebrow quizzically before getting brained by a drunken Kaoru's flailing arm as she almost fell into the well. Yahiko, who was now dueling with Akiko, stared at him in disbelief, missing a block and getting hit in the stomach for his inattention.

Tsukiyo smirked. "Hontou?" she asked, just to be certain.

Hiko aka Niitsu, nodded. He motioned for her to pour more sake. "You shouldn't lie, shishou," she said, holding the bottle just out of reach. He raised an eyebrow and reached for the bottle. She moved it further away from him.

"Your mantle proclaims you falsehood. I believe your title is Hiko Seijuuro, master of the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryuu. The – what number was it? – yes! The Thirteenth successor, I think," she said, watching him carefully. 

Hiko put down his cup. "I am just a potter…"

"What potter wears a sword and the mantle of Hiko Seijuuro? One is the trademark of a warrior or a fool; the other is a trademark of a man who no one can defeat," she said quietly. "Besides, there is no clay on your hands, no glaze on your fingers. True, you are a potter – I can see some dried clay on the hem of your mantle. You haven't touched your materials for many days. They certainly weren't at the dojo."

Hiko sat back, looking at her with grudging respect as she poured another glass of sake for him. Kenshin-gumi had gotten quiet while she spoke. She smiled slightly to them.

"I was well educated in the arts of war. Please, ignore the ramblings of a waitress," she said. While everyone watched her with uneasiness, Kaoru actually did fall in the well, clinging to Kenshin's ponytail. It took them half an hour to get her out.

Tsukiyo looked at the bodies sleeping peacefully in the sweet long grass. She saw no point in moving them inside; the sky was clear, and the air was cool, no scent of rain on it. She instead put all of the children together in a nest of grass, covering them with a light blanket. She looked at the adults. The women and Kenshin would prove no problem. Sano would. He was sleeping restlessly, and could possibly hit her. She had moved Megumi under a tree, Kenshin and Kaoru having fallen asleep side by side, and was about to lift Sano when Hiko's muscled arms came into her view. She supported the shoulders while he picked up the feet, carrying him over close to Megumi. Tsukiyo stretched her arms. Hiko watched her carefully, and then nodded to her chain.

"Let me see your trinket," he said. Tsukiyo flicked at the chain; it slid from her hips to the grass, a shining coil of steel. He ran it through his hands. It was well over nine feet long and surprisingly light. The crystals at the end were incredibly hard, and weighted with what was the equivalent of several pounds. They were carved into a diamond shape, edges sharp. 

He swung it experimentally, and was surprised to find that he had difficulty doing the full arm circles that she had done with ease. He also couldn't get the flick right; if he added power, he lost accuracy, and if he gained accuracy, he lost power.

"I spent a long time training on that thing," she said, taking it back and swinging it around the tree trunk. He ducked when the crystal end slammed into the wood, leaving a deep indent.

"That could've killed Yahiko if I didn't stop it. He asked me, wanting to learn how to swing a rope. But a manriki-gusari is no rope, just like a katana isn't a stick," she said to no one in particular. Hiko nodded, and poured two cups of sake. Tsukiyo gave him hers. He raised an eyebrow.

"I don't drink," she said. She passed him another sake bottle and jumped over his head to stretch out on a low hanging bough. She tilted her head skyward. It was only when her fingers slipped from the cold steel of her chain that he knew she was truly asleep.

Megumi was dolling out hang-over remedies an hour after dawn. Kenshin was working in the kitchen under Kaeko's withering glare.

"No, Ken-oniichan! Don't put the spice in until you have all of the vegetables! And you need to thicken it up!" she said. Akiko was fighting Yahiko, and had managed to disarm him. Kaoru looked at her approvingly.

"Where did you learn kendo?"

Akiko looked down. She knew Tsukiyo was probably in the woods, replenishing her stock of herbs and food, but she didn't like talking behind the woman's back. She had never done so, and wasn't about to start.

Yahiko rolled his eyes. "I'm just going easy on her. I don't want to hurt her…"

Akiko's eyes blazed. She hacked at him furiously, forcing him against a tree. Yahiko yelped as she slapped his fingers sharply and then poked him in the stomach hard.

Tsukiyo's breath was raspy. She adjusted the chains on her limbs. Before dawn, she had awoken. Guests dictated that she couldn't go to work. Instead, she went for a run. The base of a mountain wasn't too far; the terrain was rocky and liable to crumble out from underneath her in some places, boggy in others. Some places were just a wooden obstacle course. It was all uphill. 

She wore only her binding and pants. Sweat trickled down her neck, absorbed by the cloth that she wore over her chest. Her feet were bare, complaining slightly from overuse. Her hair was pulled back in a simple horse tail, her face slightly flushed from the run.

She was now within a mile of her house. The river gurgled, its seductive tones too much for her. Glancing around, she carefully picked a stony path and went east, no trace of her showing.

Tsukiyo looked around furtively. No one was within her sight, but she was wary all the same. She took a deep breath, stripped everything off quickly and dove in. Her hair fanned out in the water, even darker for the wetness. The current tugged at her body, cooling her feet. She felt her muscles relax in the icy water. She stretched, and floated a little. Sun peered through the leaves, hesitant, and then erupted in fiery adoration. She felt a smile play on her lips. She paused, suddenly suspicious. The birds had stopped singing. She sunk to her shoulders, eyes darting every which way. Her eyes picked out nothing. She drifted over to her clothes, and reached for her binding. A large hand grabbed her and tried to haul her out of the water. Tsukiyo shifted her weight and bit down on the hand viciously. The hand's owner let out a shocked cry.

Tsukiyo was out of the water, half dressed, and dashing through the woods faster than the eye could follow. She desperately wanted the shelter of her home, but all her instincts clamored against revealing her location. She headed back up to the mountain, and somehow, the morning's beauty ceased to exist to that rapidly pursued figure darting through the forest.

Kaeko looked out over the feast from her seat of ladyship. She had helped with the food, and was slightly miffed that her guardian was missing in her moment of glory. Yahiko's hand was moving of its own accord toward the food. Akiko lashed out with a stick, slapping him sharply. Yahiko glared murderously at the girl. She stuck out her tongue at him.

Kaeko pointed her ladle, the symbol of her office, at Sano, Kenshin, Hiko, and Aki.

"You all go find Onee-sama, or you don't get any food. We don't eat until Onee-sama is here!" she declared. Yahiko started up to follow. Aki whirled on him.

Yahiko was already smarting from his defeat at the hands of two girls in the past few days. He had been hit with a ladle, and wasn't allowed to go with the men. Aki seemed to understand his frustration.

"You need to stay here to protect the little 'uns. I know these woods better than most. Besides, Toshio needs a good teacher," she said gently. Yahiko looked up, startled. Her eyes seemed ancient as they watched him carefully. He nodded and began to walk around the house.

Tsukiyo glared at the hateful sun. It was the only reason she didn't risk the clearing that would cut her distance in half. Her pursuer was the man and his companions from the restaurant. They were mounted, explaining their quick pursuit. Tsukiyo straightened her clothes from her hiding place in the trees. She didn't have this much time. Loosening her heavy training chain, she jumped from the tree and sprinted across. The men surrounded her. Her chain cracked in the air, coiling around a man's arm and snapping it in two easily. He dropped, sobbing as white bone pricked through the skin. Tsukiyo placed her back to a large boulder, swinging her chain idly, eyes chips of ice.

Aki was heaved up by Sano. She had led them straight to the bathing place.

"Onee-sama likes to come here when things get noisy. It helps her think," she said, walking around pool that river water collected in, only to flow down a different direction. Hiko picked up a thin strand of white with his sword. Aki snatched it up, lightly cutting her finger. She stuck the finger in her mouth and looked at the thread.

"It's hers. But why didn't she come home? It's not far…" she said. Sano was looking at the almost dry foot prints on a stony path. Aki turned pale when she saw horse tracks. She lurched forward, only to ram into Kenshin.

"Hold on now, it would not do to just run off and get lost, de gozaru yo," he said gently. Aki looked down, face red. She nodded, and fell into step.

"Girl, we'll have some fun with you," one of the men said. Tsukiyo whirled her chain, and flicked the man's cheek warningly, drawing blood. Four of the ten remained; the others had passed out from pain. They drew their horses up, using the height to their advantage. One of the men had a gun, but her reflexes were too fast for it to do any real good. She had been hit a few times, but she had extraordinary resistance to pain and hadn't been struck anywhere vital. 

"Once we get you, we'll try an' find your house. Rumor has it that some nice little girls live there. I'm sure we could get a pretty price for them…"

Tsukiyo snarled, and the chain snaked out around another man, dragging him down and, with a twitch, smashed his hand. The man screamed in agony, looking at his broken hand. Tsukiyo sent the chain out to tap his temple. He fell like log.

Aki heard the scream. Her old fears flooded back, Tsukiyo being killed, Tsukiyo leaving them alone. Aki didn't want to be alone again. Blinded by this fear, she ran toward the clearing. The group surged after her, not realizing at first what had happened. 

Tsukiyo's eyes widened as Aki came charging, swinging her bokken. The man leveled his gun, and aimed. Aki dropped, clutching her leg. The man dismounted, and was about to pick her up when Tsukiyo's chain wrapped around his neck.

"Don't you touch her," she hissed, eyes snapping. She felt steel tickle her throat and stomach; the other two hunters.

"Do with me what you will, but leave the girl be," she said, planting her feet firmly and loosening the chain.

One of them leered at her binding. He slowly began cutting row by row off. He punched her lightly in the face first, and then, seeing her reaction of nothing, punched in earnest. His companions joined in. Tsukiyo didn't move a muscle. She felt the blows, but was so concentrated on the tiny figure sobbing on the ground that she didn't notice the three new members.

Hiko picked his victim up and tossed him carelessly aside. Sano punched his in the stomach. Kenshin was helping Aki up. He looked at Tsukiyo, and then noticed her extremely loose binding. He looked down, and said, "We tried to get her as soon as we could, that we did. We got lost, though." The remaining man fled, eyes wide. He had not known the woman was on speaking terms with the Battousai!

Tsukiyo nodded, dazed. Aki ran to her guardian and hugged her around the waist, sobbing hysterically.

"Onee-sama! I was so scared, I thought you had died or left us…" Tsukiyo smiled gently, running bloody hands through the girl's hair, and then grinned broader at her folly.

"Akiko, I don't die easy," she said. Aki looked up, and nodded. It was true. Tsukiyo was bleeding from the mouth, her eyebrow was split, a cut had opened on her cheek, there was a gash on her shoulder, and bruises were blossoming spectacularly on her torso. Her binding slipped again, and she raised her arms to cover herself partially.

Sano draped his shirt over her. She turned away and slid her arms through the sleeves, using a few pieces of cord to keep it shut.

Sano ruffled her hair. Tsukiyo smiled wearily. "Thank you. It seems I have another debt to repay…" she said, and hugged Aki on her knees. Aki staggered back as the woman slumped slightly. Hiko moved to pick her up. Tsukiyo lashed out, glaring.

"I'm fine!" 

"Of course. You just can't stand up right now," he said conversationally. Tsukiyo made to swipe at him, but thought better of it and settled herself in his arms, growling under her breath. Sano carried Aki while Kenshin led them through the foliage to the house.

Tsukiyo cleaned her wound herself, insisting that Megumi see to Aki first. She watched while sharpening a pair of chopsticks and placing them in a cleaning ointment. Casually, she stuck them in a hole in her leg, and pulled out a bullet and deposited it into a small bowl. Yahiko, watching this sickening display of detachment, rushed outside covering his mouth. Kaoru looked slightly green herself.

By the time Aki was cleaned up, three bullets were in the bowl and Tsukiyo was tying the last bandage. Megumi sighed, her fingers itching to inspect. Tsukiyo wasn't the sort of woman you fussed over. In fact, Megumi had the keen suspicion that if she tried to help, Tsukiyo would knock her unconscious.

The woman stood on her wounded leg and tested it. The wounds had been shallow, and no damage was obvious. Her right arm was bandaged and she had two on her left leg, but other than that she looked normal. Tsukiyo washed her hands and put the chopsticks in the fire.

Aki watched her sister in awe as she walked out the door, nothing giving away her condition.

Kenshin-gumi stayed another night. Suzume and Ayame enjoyed playing with Kaeko and Toshio, though Toshio didn't like it too much because the girls liked to play with his coal black hair. While the others were eating, Tsukiyo drew Megumi aside.

"I don't have much, but I was hoping this could help pay for your services…" she said, carefully drawing out a bundle of soft green leaves veined in blue. Megumi snatched it up, eyes wide. She looked from the leaves to the woman, and then shook her head.

"They're too expensive. You know how rare they are…" Megumi started. Tsukiyo cut her off.

"They grow up in the mountain every spring. I've been collecting them for a few years. I have enough. I sell some, keep most."

Megumi looked at the small fortune she held in her hands. This herb could be used countless ways, as a painkiller, an ointment, a salve, and additive to strengthen medicines…her mind was already racing at thought of what she could use it in.

Tsukiyo smiled. "Please, I must repay all debts. I don't want to be found wanting," she said. Megumi's hands shook as she nodded.

Hiko watched as Tsukiyo prepared to go for a night run. He picked up his katana and walked behind her for a ways. Tsukiyo paused in her stretching and raised an eyebrow.

"I felt a little sluggish today. My baka-deshi's lazy life style doesn't suit me," he said, leaning against a tree. Tsukiyo shrugged. She only spoke once in her half hour warm up routine; to ask him to pass her lead chain. He was surprised by the weight, though he didn't show it. It weighed almost the equivalent to his mantle. Tsukiyo looped it over her shoulders and around her waist and arms and down her legs a few times until the weight was distributed evenly. She went through a few punches and tumbles until she was used to the position of the weight. Clinking softly, she began to trot. Hiko followed, interested in what training she went through.

Tsukiyo pushed against the river, striving to beat the current. Water splashed her face and weighted down her clothes as she took a step at a time. By the time she reached the waterfalls bottom, she was soaking. She hopped out and went to a steep trail that led up to the top of the falls. Hiko felt a faint niggling of respect for the girl; her stamina was decent. She continued along a wooden path, jumping fallen logs and skirting mossy patches with the ease that comes from memory. She dodged low hanging vines and loose rubble. Her feet made no sound, her eyes were half closed. Her body moved as if asleep.

Kaoru looked at Aki. The girl was staring at Kaoru's bokken with a longing that made her heart ache. She was a natural with the sword. She knew how to defend herself, and she clearly only wanted to protect her family. Kaoru waited for Tsukiyo to return from her run, promising herself that she would ask the woman about Aki.

Tsukiyo passed Hiko a water flask. He sipped it delicately. Her run had managed to get his blood pumping again. He was beginning to see how her muscles had become so well coordinated. By training on a variety of fields, her body had adjusted to all sorts of conditions. In doing so, she had analyzed how her body would react in said conditions, and had perfected them for combat in said conditions. 

Tsukiyo stretched her legs, and then began to walk back toward the house. Hiko had expected her to run, or to at least jog. Instead, she walked, swinging her practice chain absentmindedly. He nodded with understanding. The second half was returning at a pace the body could recuperate to while doing drill training. Tsukiyo saw him watching her and nodded slightly, acknowledging his correct assessment of her program. He followed her at a leisurely pace, enjoying the silence.

Tsukiyo was gratified to see that the children had been put to bed. She checked on them before sitting in the main room with the others. Megumi was pouring tea for Sano, as they had run out of sake. Kenshin for one was glad that there was no sake; Kaoru had no alcoholic tolerance of any kind.

Kaoru looked up as Tsukiyo sat down. "Ah! Tsukiyo-san! I was wondering…have you ever considered training Akiko in swordsmanship?"

Tsukiyo cocked her head to one side as she often did when thinking. "Yes. I made her that bokken. I let her watch me train," she said, satisfied with her answer.

Kaoru blinked. "You use a sword?"

"Not a sword; a bokken. And it is only for strengthening purposes. I prefer the jo myself," she said, blowing on her tea, watching the ripples. Kaoru blinked again, her mouth slightly open. Tsukiyo smiled. "I am extremely flexible. The price I pay is that I run the risk of dislocating joints. I strengthen my shoulders by using a bokken. It also helps to keep up the old traditions," she murmured, sipping her tea.

Kaoru looked towards the rooms. "I was wondering; could I take Aki on as a student? She has incredible potential…" Tsukiyo didn't move.

"That is Aki's decision. Whatever she chooses I will support," she said slowly.      

"Tsukiyo-dono, I am sure Kaoru-dono would take good care of Akiko-chan," Kenshin said, smiling just at Kaoru. Kaoru blushed.           Tsukiyo smiled into her tea. 

Tsukiyo waited until everyone was in bed, and then crept outside. Settling herself on the roof, she watched the stars. Tracing designs in the roof, she remembered when she had lived in a house like this. 

"Maybe I can change. I have a new home, and I have a family. And if nothing else," she paused, her jaw clenching, both words and gesture reminiscent of a father from years ago, "I have my duty."

Tsukiyo and the children were walking Kenshin-gumi back to the dojo. They were almost there when a figure caught Kenshin's eye. He shifted Kaoru behind him, sword drawn. Sano moved in front of Megumi, who lightly caressed the symbol on his back, eyes worried. The children were pushed into the center. Hiko and Tsukiyo were ready, Yahiko's shinai and Aki's bokken poking out from behind them. Kaoru had the knife Tsukiyo tossed her.

It was someone dressed in a shroud. The voice was a raspy hiss. 

"Himura Kensssssssshhhhhhhhhhin?"        

"What do you want?" he asked, voice hard. The figure looked as if controlled by strings. The arms were floppy and its head hung.

"I have businesssss with you. I have been ordered to kill you, Battousssssai," he whispered.

"If you have business with me there is no need to involve the others," Kenshin said, eyes icy.      

"Perhapssssss…" the figure suddenly lurched forward. Kenshin leapt up, preparing an attack only to find that the other had done the equivalent. The stance was the identical; every muscle was exactly in the same place.

Tsukiyo tore away from the group, screaming, "Kenshin-san! He's a Fukusha master!! He'll copy your attacks! Get away!" The figure jerked, and turned glazed green eyes down to Tsukiyo. The eyes widened. It landed, watching Tsukiyo, who regarded it with hatred. Her eyes blazed; the man took a step back. Toshio could almost feel the heat coming from her skin. 

"Thissss isss quite interesssting," he murmured shakily. Turning to Kenshin, he said, "I will deal with you later, Himura," and darted away into shadow.

That's a little better, nee? What ever. Review if you want, I am open to comments and like audience participation (to some extents ;D) Laterz.


	3. Chapter 3 Trains!

In my last chapter I forgot the disclaimers…here they are – I do not and will not own any character of Rurouni Kenshin, etcetera, etcetera.  HOWEVER - any characters of my own creation are strictly that and are not to be stolen (at least not w/ out my permission). Oks, that takes care of the formalities…so let us continue.

Once they were in the Dojo, Kaoru planted herself in front of Tsukiyo.

"Why did that fighter pause when he saw you?" she demanded. Sano was watching her with practiced indifference.

"I don't know him," Tsukiyo said, carefully avoiding the question. Kaoru pounced.

"That's not an answer!"

"I know that fighting style. If someone knows a fighting style, they generally know and understand how to exploit the weakness. Fukusha is a complicated technique used by assassins and spies of a special caliber. They could spend their entire lives going after one single target, usually one of military or political importance. They spend months or even years studying their target's fighting style until they can do a near perfect copy of it. By doing so, they pick apart your very life style until they know how many times you blink in a day, never mind your weapon. The fact that this man is going after you now suggests that you either were a target or a potential target and were studied as such, and having resurfaced, you have been deemed dangerous or someone just doesn't like you," she said softly. Kaoru's hands were at her mouth. Aki, Kaeko, and Toshio were looking at Tsukiyo with a mix of wonder and fear. Yahiko's mouth was wide open. Tsukiyo shut it with her hand.

"So he knows Hiten Mitsurugi Ryuu?"           Sano asked, rocked mentally.  Tsukiyo shook her head.

"He only knows Kenshin's style. Every fighter differs slightly. Besides, he may be able to copy the attacks, but they will always be lacking in some area. He put years of study into a person, not a technique. There is an extreme difference," she said, rolling her shoulders.

Tsukiyo looked around the dojo.

"Would you mind if we stayed here tonight? It's a little late to be going home," she said, examining the thick walls.

Kaoru nodded, not missing where the woman's real concern was; the children.

"I ssswear, it mussst have been her! No other woman hasss thossse gray eyesss!" the spy said, bowing on the floor. A large man nodded. He had ash colored hair with bright blue eyes. His face was hard and sharply defined. Tall, he was clad as a traditional host. He had the same beauty that a sword had; revered by those who served it, feared by those who opposed it, and completely made of metal.

"I never thought those rumors about the Kazeno Ryu were true. We looked for her in all the wrong places, too, when did a follow up. To think, she kept her true name after all these years…" the man ran a finger along a straight blade.

"Himura is still a target. But watch the girl. I want her alive. She may be worth more than even the Battousai, given the right customer," he said, eyes glowing. The man on the floor nodded.

"And Ogawa? Fail me again, and I will kill you," he said as an after thought.

"Yesss, Kogasssu-sssama," the man murmured. Kogasu smiled slightly, and left.

Tsukiyo changed into her training clothes. Something was not right. Kenshin felt it too. After a while, Kaoru took all the children inside and changed. Yahiko and Akiko stood guard with Kaoru. Megumi was in the room, holding a gun with deadly certainty. As a doctor, it was her profession to save rather than kill, but if forced to, she would do so to protect the children.

Sano shivered as a shadow passed over head. He shouted a warning to Kenshin.

"DIE HIMURA!!!" The figure screamed. "I am Ogawa, and I have been sssworn to kill you!"

Ogawa charged, sword glinting in his hand. He had raised it to strike when a chain wrapped around his ankle. He was pulled to the ground and found a dagger in the kill position quicker than he dreamed.

"Ogawa, who sent you?" Tsukiyo hissed, eyes icy. Ogawa felt their magnetism, and shivered.

"I cannot ssay…" he whispered. The dagger prodded his windpipe. Sano moved forward, and picked the creature up. Tsukiyo screamed, "No, Sano!" but it was too late. Ogawa stabbed and darted away. Tsukiyo supported Sano and moved him out of the way. Ogawa took out a gun and began shooting. Hiko and Kenshin moved in beautiful symmetry, slowly working their way in to the assassin. Tsukiyo ripped off strips from her haori and was cleaning Sano's wound when Kenshin sliced off the front of the gun.

Ogawa paused, and tried to move away. Cold steel bared his path. His eyes were wide under his cover of gray. 

"What do you want with me, Ogawa?" Kenshin asked. 

"It wassss sssssupposed to be an eassssy job. The Mansssslayer issss tired, they ssssaid," the man whispered, eyes frantic, pupils pinpricks.

Tsukiyo stood up, and walked up to the man. Her voice was calm, gentle, even.

"Now, Ogawa, I'm sure a man like you is useful nowadays. After all, the Fukusha is a difficult and time consuming technique. I bet you know all sorts of information on past targets. You can probably even recite conversations on their part," she said, voice slow, seeming to hang in the air. Tsukiyo leaned in closer, her skin giving off the scent of forest trails and hidden grottos. Ogawa nodded almost drunkenly.

"I am valuable to them…I am irreplaccceable, no matter what Massster Kogassssu sssays," he said, voice slurred as he inspected Tsukiyo carefully. Hiko gripped his sword slightly harder when the spy reached up and stroked a lock of hair, admiring the dark lights that played on the strands. Tsukiyo didn't move. She was too intent on getting information to notice her gestures seemed coy and inviting.

"What would Master Kogasu want with him," she asked, eyes lowering. Ogawa smiled.

"Massster hass friendsss who do not like the memory of battlesss lossst. It wasss to be a gift," he said, and then inspected her arm, running a gloved hand up it. Tsukiyo didn't react.

"Kazeno Tsukiyo… you are to be hisss persssonal gift," he added, eyes suddenly flashing in anger. Tsukiyo understood.

"What would he want with a mere woman?"

Ogawa's eyes followed the curves of her body adoringly. "He wantssss the woman that wasssss hidden assssss the greatessssst sssssecret of a renowned sssspy…"

Tsukiyo sat in the garden, head in her hands. She was not crying, just holding her head as if suffering from a headache.

Kaeko had brought her tea; it was next to her, cold. Ogawa had been imprisoned in the local jail Tsukiyo had sat in the secluded area ever since, trying to organize her thoughts.

Megumi and Kaoru had looked at her in shock. Kenshin, Hiko, and Sano weren't the type to approach her until she was done sorting through her memories. Kaeko and Toshio were too young to understand. Akiko had gasped, and then glared at her in such fury that Tsukiyo had left.

She remembered those glares from her mother's family. Those glares of utter revulsion at such a dishonorable father. Tsukiyo ground her teeth. Her father had been an _Imperial __spymaster. He had risked his life many times over to ensure the revolution and the protection of innocents. He had worked hard, had never shirked his responsibility. He was no drunkard from the taverns. Every time a woman had told her what a disgrace her father was to the family, she had been forced to nod, swallowing tears of anger. To see such a similar look on the face of Aki broke her heart._

Sitting up, she rolled her neck. Memories weren't important right now. What was important was this Kogasu. He obviously had money, or else a Fukusha master wouldn't work for him. Also, Ogawa had been clothed in expensive but plain clothes. No one in Tokyo had that money and an interest in affairs. No one in Tokyo wanted Kenshin dead immediately.  And she had been certain to cover her tracks here. Very few people knew she existed, let alone lived in Tokyo.

She walked back into the dojo and sat down in the center of the group who were whispering softly. They looked shocked that she was back.

"I must find this Kogasu soon," she said gravely. Kenshin nodded. She turned to Kaoru. 

"Kaoru-sama, I would ask that you lend me some clothing, and Megumi, if you could lend me make up of some kind? I must find this man," she said, bowing till her head brushed the mat.

Kaoru looked confused. Megumi tugged at her arm and led her out of the room in search of clothes.

Tsukiyo stood up briskly and began undoing the complex knot that held her binding in place. 

"What do you mean to do?" Kenshin asked as Sano took a step closer to the door.

"If this Kogasu wants me bad enough, he should hire another thug. I plan to work at a teahouse; the best customers always go there. I might be able to find something out there…" she said, leaving her binding on and now undoing one of the thick braids that she typically wore at night. 

"Why not stay here?" Sano asked. Tsukiyo shrugged.

"Too dangerous. The children need a safe place and a good home for now; the dojo will more than suffice," she said, finishing one braid and moving on to a second. 

"You can't go!" a young voice said, horrified.

Aki hadn't been able to sleep since Tsukiyo's past life had been revealed. She had wondered about it often, but that Tsukiyo was born into a family and had chosen to leave…she just didn't understand why Tsukiyo had hidden herself for what she was; the daughter of a fighting house who had won honor in the revolution. Now, the thought of loosing her caregiver who had replaced her parents overwhelmed any sense of confusion she might have had.

Tsukiyo looked at Akiko, and opened her mouth. Akiko cut her off. 

"You need to keep us safe. Kenshin is nice, but he doesn't understand me like you do, and what if they come for us? Who will protect us then?"

Tsukiyo was about to point out that there were several others who were more than strong enough to deal with even an exceptional fighter, which most fighters for hire were not. Instead, she noticed Aki was starting to cry. She opened her arms, and hugged the girl.

"Do you not want us any more?" Aki hiccupped into the soft fabric. Tsukiyo gripped her tighter.

"No. Of course I still want you all."

"When Mama died you came and got me and Kaeko, and then you found Toshio…you gave us a home and made us a family. We don't want to loose you too," she wailed. Tsukiyo sighed, and looked at the men. Sano was halfway out of the door, Megumi holding Aki's blanket. Tsukiyo sighed again, and picked up the girl.

"Ok. I promise. I won't leave you here. But I do have to go back to work," she said as Aki yawned, her emotions spent. As she walked out she kicked Sano lightly in the shins for getting her only weakness.

Kaoru glanced around frantically. Where was Tsukiyo? She was supposed to be working here today. She grabbed Tae by the arm and shook her.

"Where is Tsukiyo?" she gasped. Tae pointed into the back room. Kaoru darted in and grabbed her.

"The dojo! It's on fire! Some one set it on fire!" she babbled, tears in her eyes. Tsukiyo paused, and then grabbed Kaoru's hand and sprinted out of the Akebeko.

One of the buildings was burning cheerily; they had managed to ward off the other flames. Everyone was milling about in the yard, confused. Tsukiyo darted in and looked crazily for her children. Aki, Toshio…where was Kaeko?

Hiko saw her lurch toward the building in a shambling run. He grabbed her from behind as she writhed in his arms, struggling against his superior strength.

"Kaeko is in there! Let me go! I have to get to Kaeko!" she screamed. Hiko dodged a flailing arm and held on tight.

"Shut up! You can't do anything for her! I'm sure Kenshin saw her on the yard…"

A high pitched scream cut through the din of the inferno. Tsukiyo caught a glimpse of a figure struggling through the smoke. She broke his hold on her and barreled through Sanosuke and leapt through a small window.

Tsukiyo rolled in on the ground, smothering the flames that licked her clothes. She covered her mouth, and squinted through the haze. She felt thick tendrils coil around her, weighing her down. She shuddered, and spat out the taste of the woody scent.  She felt splinters dig into her feet. She hated fire. Ignoring that, she looked around. On the floor was a child coughing sporadically. Tsukiyo turned her over; it was Kaeko, sporting a large burn on one hand. She picked her up and started to head toward the door. Outside, Kaoru screamed as the roof began to cave in.

Tsukiyo flinched as an ember struck her cheek. She coughed, and looked for the window. A heavy wooden beam blocked it. Setting Kaeko down, she rammed against it with all the strength she had left.

Yahiko heard the splintering wood and pointed. Hiko and Sano ran over, and a small bundle was dropped into their arms. Tsukiyo was hanging half in, half out, shoulders bleeding. Hiko gently took her out while Megumi readied two beds. Tsukiyo leaned on him heavily for support, struggling to keep her legs under her. She could smell some of her hair burning; smoke clogged her throat. She felt bile rise in her mouth. She ran over to a water barrel and stuck her head underwater, trying to wash away the smell. Hiko steadied her as bubbles floated to the surface. She slowly left the fluid surroundings, hair dripping into her face. Hiko half supported, half carried her into the dojo, away from the now dimming flames.

Aki sat next to her sleeping friend. Tsukiyo had been tossing in her sleep for the past hour, unable to find any rest in her dreams. Finally, when she could take the inane babble no longer, she tapped the woman on the shoulder. Tsukiyo snapped up, one hand reaching under her pillow while the other went into a guard position. She saw Aki's outline in the dim light, and relaxed.

"You were mumbling," Aki whispered. Tsukiyo nodded, and got up.

"I won't be able to rest now," she said, picking up her thin chain. Aki nodded, and slid open the door noiselessly. Tsukiyo disappeared, no more than a wraith.

Ayame awoke to the sounds of Akiko practicing on a target. She stood, transfixed, as Aki lunged and stabbed furiously at the scarecrow. Sweat trickled into her eyes. She paused to wipe it away, and then returned to her practice. She ended up beheading the thing.

"Why are you so mean to the scarecrow?" Ayame asked. Aki turned, and smiled, so like Kenshin that Ayame did a double take.

"I need to practice. Last time, those men almost hurt me. I don't want them to hurt anyone else." Ayame nodded, eyes following the wooden sword.

Kogasu looked through the bars at his servant. All around him the guards lay, slain. Ogawa trembled, eyes nervously following the blade that his master leaned upon so casually.

"Ogawa, you have disappointed me. You know, I heard a ruffian asking questions about me. This simply will not do, Ogawa," he said, smiling slightly. 

"Spies are supposed to be silent, are they not?" Ogawa nodded. Kogasu smiled.

"Well, I don't want you to feel tempted to break your vows again," he said. Ogawa died without a sound.

"I shall just have to get the girl on my own…perhaps a trip to Kyoto is in order. She will follow me. I'm a threat," he said to the corpse.

Tsukiyo lurched out of her seat when she heard the news.

"He's what?"

"His name is Kogasu Murazaki. Son of some hot shot from Kyoto. Apparently he went down to see Ogawa and all the guards were dead. Including Ogawa. Now he's going back to Kyoto…"

"Kogasu…he's the one Ogawa mentioned…" Tsukiyo whispered. She went back into her room and began packing a basket swiftly. Hiko leaned against the doorway.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"I am going to Kyoto," she said. She was formatting a plan. If she avoided the road and cut cross country, traveling from sun up to five hours after sun down…she could make the trip quickly.

"No need to go alone," he said, watching her closely. Hiko had been surprisingly normal with her, avoiding saying anything of extreme arrogance. He had the feeling that if he did, she would give him a mocking stare, stripping away the truth behind his words and leave only a frightened child, which was ridiculous. "I have a cabin in the mountains near Kyoto. Kenshin and Sano have already volunteered. We also have connections in Kyoto, and I'm sure we could visit… 

"I won't leave the children unprotected. Kenshin would come whether or not I wanted him to, which would mean Kaoru coming. A healer might be needed where ever Sano is concerned, so Megumi would come. That would leave only Yahiko and Aki to defend the dojo. I will not leave them unguarded. You all stay here," she said, voice iron. Hiko nodded sympathetically. 

"I was just saying we have connections in Kyoto. I'm sure we could stay the children could stay there for a while…"

Tsukiyo jerked up, looking at him hard. "You'd better not be lying to me, Hiko Seijuro. Because if you are I swear that I will hunt you down if as so much as one hair ends up out of place on those children and I will torture you in the most painful way I can find," she growled. Hiko believed her.

"We're going on a tri-ip! We're going on a tri-ip!" Kaeko and Akiko sang as they danced around Tsukiyo, Kaoru, Kenshin, and Sano. Sano regarded the train with intense dislike. Tsukiyo's face was impassive, though Toshio poked the side and asked, "This hunk of metal is really going to take us all the way to Kyoto?"

Kaoru nodded. "Yes. Trains are much faster. And it will be nice to visit Misao," she said. Tsukiyo cocked her head, a silent question, but said nothing.

On the train, Toshio and Sano suffered from severe motion sickness, resulting in both of them sending glares at the four little girls who were combing their hair while they were in a near vegetative state. The end result was Sano having a large smear of lipstick on from ear to ear and Toshio having eye shadow with bows in his soft hair. Tsukiyo went to find some water to clean them up.

Kaoru sent a glance to Hiko, retreating in the other direction. Megumi followed her glanced and murmured, "What an odd pair they make."

Kaoru nodded. She wasn't the only one who had noticed how subdued Hiko had been since Tsukiyo had shown up. She had the smiled at the thought; perhaps the arrogant master _did have a soft side. Megumi saw all of this play out on her face._

"Why would he be that way around her, though? She is strong, yes, but she seems…too much steel."

Kenshin, who they thought had been sleeping, looked out the window and said, "Pain. He saw very much pain in her eyes, de gozaru yo. She is still trying to heal herself, something she cannot do alone. She is healing, though. Very slowly, it is true, but she is healing."

Kaoru jerked. Sano sat up and fixed his eyes on the floor.

"Yeah. I saw it too. Wonder what she went through to cut her so bad," he said queasily. Megumi rubbed his back, trying to ease his spasmodically moving muscles. Akiko looked at the ground.

"She never talks about her family," she said quietly. Kaeko looked at her sister, motioning frantically. Toshio tried to heave himself up to get her to stop.

"You aren't related?" Kaoru asked, surprised. She couldn't see any direct resemblance, but sometimes that was how it was with siblings. And she didn't seem incredibly old, so she couldn't be the mother, especially when they referred to her as sister.

Aki looked away from Kaeko and Toshio, swallowed, and then met Kenshin's eyes.

"No. Kaeko is my little sister. Toshio we found with Onee- with Tsukiyo-dono," she said, gritting her teeth as she spat the new phrase. "Our parents lived on a river. There was a flood. Our parents were killed. She found us and took us with her," she said. Kaeko whimpered and started to cry softly. Kaoru picked her up and rocked her. Aki went on relentlessly. "Our mama and papa, they were good. But they were friends with mean people. Those mean people came after us. Tsukiyo-dono made them go away. She made anybody who looked at us the way that man looked at me a few days ago go away."

Kenshin flinched, and as her voice began to crack, he brought her into a hug.

"Toshio…Toshio's parents liked sake a lot. Some days there wasn't enough food because of the sake, right, ototo?" Toshio nodded, crying in spite of himself. Aki pushed away from Kenshin and hugged him tight. "One night, they left. Just left. Tsukiyo-dono found Toshio and took care of him too," she whispered. 

Yahiko regarded her coolly, and then patted her back sympathetically. Aki looked at Kaoru. Her voice throbbed painfully.

"Tsukiyo-dono found us and traveled for a while. She brought us to Tokyo. She found that house. She made sure we had enough food to eat and a place to sleep. She doesn't drink, she doesn't gamble, she's never once laid a hand on us. She helps kids get jobs. She taught girls holds to stop an attacker. She is even teaching us to read and write. She is all we had for two years, and she kept us safe. She…she loves us," Aki finished, and gave way to helpless sobs. She jerked away from them all and ran out in the opposite direction of Tsukiyo.

Aki sobbed weakly in a hidden corner. A large hand patted her shoulder. 

"What happened?" he asked.

She glared accusingly at Hiko. "You heard everything. Don't act stupid," she growled. He smiled and helped her up.

"It's true, you know. She's not hurting as much, because of you. You don't treat her like a fighter, or a jewel, or a fool. She's been treated like those things before and she didn't like it. Not one bit. But now…she smiles easier. And she smiles with her eyes again," she said drowsily, spent from her emotional breakdown. Hiko shrugged. She glared at him again.

"You better do good by her, or I'll hunt you down and no power in heaven or hell'll save you," she growled. Hiko smiled.

"And you are _sure_ you two aren't related?"

Tsukiyo came back to find the children all asleep. Sano was looking surprisingly better, though his lips were still green. She passed him the water to wash his face.

Ayame and Suzume moved so she could sit. She put them both in her lap. She leaned back and was about to sleep herself when Ayame tugged her shirt.

"Kaeko says you braid good. Could you braid my hair?" she asked, eyes hopeful. Tsukiyo nodded and carefully drew back the hair. Suzume tapped her shoulder.

"Can I go next, Kiyo-onee-chan?" Tsukiyo smiled at the shortened version of her name, and nodded.

"Kiyo-onee-chan! Wake up!" a small hand shook her. Tsukiyo opened her eyes slightly and nodded. The train was slowing down. Toshio and Sano had finally regained their color. Aki saw the woman stand up. Tsukiyo's eyes widened. Kyoto was beautiful. It had changed so much, and yet not at all.

"Come on, Tsukiyo-dono. We must get off the train, de gozaru yo," Kenshin said, smiling. Kaeko blinked in the sunlight. Toshio and Akiko both tugged on her arms, trying to take her every which way at once.

                I know, snoozer chapter, nothing happening, very boring, too long, sucky plot…I originally wrote this 4 fun and my friend suggested I post, so here I am. I think it gets better later…or maybe I just suck at this entirely. Whatever. J Come back if you dare. ;p


	4. Chapter 4 Tea House

Aloha! Yes, I insist on posting this mindless story, but what the hell. I enjoy it. ^ ^ I hope that the first chapters haven't been too trying on you. All disclaimers apply, blah blah blah, * adudience asleep * ok! Moving on!

They stopped by to see Misao and, after a brief visit and explanation, were able to leave the children excepting Yahiko there. Kaeko had sobbed and Toshio nearly bit through his lip. Ayame and Suzume didn't mind; they had heard all sorts of stories about Auntie Misao and had wanted a chance to play with her.

The girls there had been very happy to see Hiko, less so to meet Tsukiyo. It was obvious when Tsukiyo poured sake for him, as the girls offered him all sorts of food, completely ignoring the other guests. Hiko basked in their infatuation, looking smug. Tsukiyo spilled sake all over him and inspected her manriki-gusari.

After they left, the remaining group went with Hiko into the mountains. Tsukiyo felt her breathing return to normal. The train had been an adventure of sorts, but she preferred the clean air and serenity of the woods.

They arrived at a small house. Hiko settled his shoulders comfortably, and nodded to Kenshin.

"Go get water from the river, deshi," he ordered. Kenshin opened his mouth to object, and then thought better of it as he caught the gleam in his master's eye. Hiko, the lord of all her surveyed, was back.

Yahiko looked at the wood and sighed unhappily. Hiko had set them all to work as soon as they had arrived. Tsukiyo was his partner, and she didn't seem to invite conversation. This wasn't warrior's work, he thought glumly. He was surprised when two slender hands came behind him and guided his hands on the small axe.

"Just think of it as practice. It takes a powerful strike to sever a log in one try. It's not so different from what you practice at the dojo. Just do a downward slash. Then you won't get so bored," Tsukiyo whispered in his ear. Yahiko blushed as she took the axe in one hand and tossed it in her hand. She squared her shoulders, and, one handed, cut the log. Yahiko's eyes bugged out of his head. Tsukiyo stood behind him and guided his arms through the motions slowly. She let him feel how her muscles shifted, and then set him to trying it. It got to a point where it took him three strikes. Tsukiyo would then mark the log in the exact center. His task was to hit the center all three times. She worked along side him, helping him when his strikes got sloppy. After a while, she took over and preformed them in one. He would mark a log and get two equal pieces in return. 

Hiko watched from the shadows as she showed him how to get more power into a strike. She sat back and began shaping a jo in the wood, carefully carving out the staff, watching Yahiko for any mistakes. Yahiko looked at the log, and breathed deeply. He raised the axe above his head, and struck.

Two pieces of wood thumped the grass lightly. Tsukiyo picked up the pieces and, smiling, said, "Well, I think I might make these into something special. Congratulations, Yahiko-kun. You are not a little kid, and don't let anyone tell you you are." 

Yahiko blushed as she clapped him on the back and then gathered all the wood with him. It occurred to him that perhaps, with her as his work partner, things wouldn't be so bad if she taught him how to do stuff like that every day.

Tsukiyo sat by the fire, carefully making an ornament for the hilt of a sword and a charm to attach to the circlet. She held her sharp knife, and slowly cut away the bark to get to the smooth white inner wood. Tenderly she cut out the shape, borrowing Kenshin's sword (without his knowledge, of course) to get an exact measurement. She stayed up late into the night, diligently adding detail where required. By midnight she had made the circlet for the hilt engraved with Yahiko's name and the name of his school. She lacquered the wood to keep it from decaying, and painted in the symbols for his name with black ink. On the charm she wrote the kanji for justice, truth, and honor. 

Hiko interrupted her, bringing her food. She motioned for him to help himself after noticing two cups and plates.

"You taught the brat to split a log in one. Not bad for an amateur," he said, sipping tea. Tsukiyo noticed he didn't say which one of them was the amateur. She put down her finished pieces and examined them from every angle. Satisfied, she set them on a silk ribbon of hers and wrapped them up carefully. She then began to eat slowly, savoring the food that, untouched by Kaoru, tasted rather good.

"He's eager and talented for his age," she said, blowing on her rice. Hiko reached for the tea. She unconsciously poured it for him. He eyed her, and then smiled.

"Sanosuke's in the bath, but there's a hot spring near by," he said suggestively. Tsukiyo looked at him and ate her rice. When she finished, she cracked her neck.

"That's nice. I could use a bath," she said, standing up. Glancing over her shoulder she said carelessly, "Oh, would you mind cleaning up for me? Thank you."

Hiko looked at the mess of wood shavings and spilled lacquer, and, blinking slowly, growled, "You have _got to be kidding me."_

Tsukiyo had been, in fact, kidding him. She was already bringing a bucket of water and a brush. She made short work of it all and then went to take her bath while Hiko dealt with the dishes.

The springs were everything a girl could hope for. She rinsed her hair and scrubbed her hands, removing the occasional splinter. She leaned against cool stones and got out. She dressed slowly, combing out her hair with her fingers until it was dry. She was about to put it up when she decided against it. Her hair slithered around her shoulders. She pushed it back and followed the trail back to the house, sighing as the wind lifted her hair. Stars peeked through the leaves, moon gilding them with silver. She smiled, and quietly returned.

Yahiko's eyes were wide as he handled the ornaments. They wouldn't fit on his shinai, but for the time he could wear them on his belt. Once he got a sword, or graduated, which ever came first, he could place them on the hilt. Tsukiyo smiled and got up to help with the laundry.

Sano cocked his head to one side. "Is there something different about her today?"

"Her hair's down," Yahiko said, staring after her. Sano watched Yahiko's glance, and smirked.

"Got a crush on her, Yahiko? What ever happened to your friend from the Akebeko? Or the cannon girl?"

Yahiko glared at Sano and started biting his head. "Shut up, chicken head!"

"YOU LITTLE PUNK! STOP THAT!!"

Yahiko glared at the house. Hiko was making more pottery while they worked. Misao and Sano had gone into town to gather information on Kogasu.

"Why does he get to do arts and crafts while we chop wood and clean up around here?" he muttered rebelliously. A finished piece came flying out of the house and smacked him in the center of his face. Hiko retrieved the projectile, glaring at Yahiko.

"I have a living to make, brat. You expect me to ignore this just because a few otherwise freeloaders stop by my house? You aren't paying to stay here, so I only get poorer!"

"We didn't make you work when you visited us," Yahiko snarled. 

"Of course not. One can't expect an important guest to work," he said smoothly. Yahiko was about to charge when Tsukiyo picked him up under her arm and started walking toward the river, buckets in her other hand.

Yahiko was dumped unceremoniously on the bank. Tsukiyo started filling buckets. He steeled himself for some rebuke, but none came. Instead, Tsukiyo was watching him closely. She shook herself and picked up her buckets, passing him two.

"We'll have to come back for more. Kaoru's cooking, and you know how long that will take," she said conversationally. Yahiko jerked, and then nodded, smiling a little.

"This is training too. It strengthens the shoulder muscles and can help you balance. Try not to spill any, and see how far you get," she said. Yahiko nodded, and walked forward as if on eggs.

Tsukiyo was doing the laundry when Megumi tapped her shoulder.

"Sano and the others are meeting in the woods. They want you there, too," she said. Tsukiyo looked at the laundry. Megumi smiled. "I'll do it."

Tsukiyo smiled her thanks and left.

The fighters were gathered in a small clearing. Kenshin sat at the base of a tree, Sano sitting on a stump. Hiko was standing, leaning on his sword sheath. They nodded when they saw her. She leaned against a tree, and cocked her head.

"What's the news that was so important I couldn't finish the laundry?" she asked, slightly peeved. Laundry was perhaps the only quiet time she had gotten that entire day, what with Yahiko trailing her like a lost puppy and Kaoru cooking.

"I got the guy's address, and a list of his hang outs," Sano said, passing a list to Kenshin. Kenshin passed it to Hiko, who passed it to her. She read it, nodding slightly.

"He hangs out at the most expensive places in Kyoto. Likes his tea, but not sake. Inherited his money from his father, who can make or break anybody in Kyoto. The guy's reputed to be decent, but it seems lately his father's been putting him up to some dirty work."

Tsukiyo nodded, and Sano looked straight at her. "The question is, what would he want with a spy's kid? I mean, your father, just how important was he?"

Tsukiyo bit her tongue, and smiled painfully. "He was an Imperial spymaster during the revolution. He ran a few squads, trained some, did jobs himself. He was good at his work," she said tightly. Kenshin's eyes flew open, and then lowered slightly. 

"Kazeno…your last name was Kazeno… so that would make you the Kazeno Ryu's daughter," he said softly. Tsukiyo nodded slowly, and looked at all of them.

"I would ask that you don't talk about this outside yourselves. I enjoy my life, and I don't want to risk anyone's safety. Thank you for helping. But now you should return to Tokyo. There is no need for you to get involved…" she said, turning to leave.

Kenshin watched her go. Sano looked at him, and asked, "How important was this guy anyway?"

"Important enough that who ever wanted him dead wants his daughter as a trophy," Hiko said. Kenshin nodded. They all watched the retreating figure materialize into shadow, her thin chain glinting after she herself disappeared.

Tsukiyo sat by the river, swishing her feet in the water. She was surprised when a blanket draped itself around her shoulders. She looked up and saw Kaoru standing there with Megumi. They helped her up. From the look on their faces, they had listened to the conversation. Tsukiyo smiled slightly. Kaoru saw the other woman's lips tremble, and she patted her back. Tsukiyo smiled, and walked back to the house with them, a silent agreement hanging in the air between them.

Hiko threw another piece at Yahiko, demanding, "Where is my breakfast! Where is that lazy woman!" Normally he woke up to smelling Tsukiyo at work, and was served promptly. She also supplied him with tea, somewhat taming him in the early morning hours. This morning, having received neither tea nor food, he was somewhat testy.

Yahiko ducked the bowl and said, "She went into town with Kaoru and Megumi. Apparently they had to go shopping…" Yahiko's voice trailed off. He would never understand the woman's mentality that caused them to shop under times of stress.

Tsukiyo looked at the soft kimono. A sheer silk shawl hung from her arms. Megumi tightened the obi until she couldn't breathe. Kaoru was combing her hair, newly washed with scented oils. Tsukiyo looked at herself in the mirror, and smiled. Make up had been lightly applied. Her kimono was a brilliant sapphire, glittering from crystals sew into it by Megumi and Kaoru. Misao stood guard at the door, making sure no one in the Aoiya knew she was there. She stood up, tottering slightly on her new shoes that added an inch to her height. She grinned; you couldn't tell her eyes were gray. They looked a light blue now. Misao grinned as Tsukiyo strung her manriki gusari inside her obi. She rolled her shoulders and, with there help, began to walk out to the tea house. The others were decorated in finery, but they had wanted Tsukiyo to appear the wealthiest of them.

Kenshin looked around uneasily. He felt very out of place in this expensive place. Hiko had maintained that if the women wanted to get decked out in frippery that was their problem; the men could more than take care of business without their nonsense. When Yahiko had pointed out that Tsukiyo was at least stronger than Sano, Hiko's reaction was to ignore him while Sano began delivering swift justice to the ignorant pupil.

They ate sparingly, watching for the Kogasu that was reputed to come there everyday. Yahiko noticed out of the corner of his eye a tall, broad shouldered man that walked in, ashy hair tied back in a low ponytail that tickled his shoulder blades. Kenshin followed his glance and nodded slightly. He nudged Sano, who had gone temporarily dumb. He was staring, open mouthed, at four women who had entered the tea house, laughing quietly and smiling the secret smile that women of prestige and power smile. One of them noticed him and under the make up smirked. Megumi passed right by him, fabulous in scarlet, a silk tip of her kimono running over his shoulder. 

Yahiko was surprised to see Misao dressed up; her kimono was black and trimmed in sea green fabric. Kenshin was watching Kaoru, his eyes gentle. Kaoru blushed under his gaze, and the fourth lady kicked her slightly, reminding her that they were single and didn't fall for wanderers. Collectively the group swallowed hard as they looked at Tsukiyo. It seemed that out of her binding she had a modest figure, and, when dressed as a girl, could look good. _Really_ good.

They sat down slowly at a private table, laughing softly among themselves as they saw the men in the teahouse craning their necks for a better look at them. Megumi was already flirting with those who came close, causing Sano, who had a clear view of them, to scowl. Megumi hid a laugh behind her hand and winked slightly at him.

 Misao shifted uncomfortably in her kimono. She wasn't used to all these people staring at her so hungrily. Tsukiyo patted her arm and passed her the tea.

"Well, I am a very rude host. It seems I have ignored four of the most priceless jewels in Kyoto," a voice said behind them. It belonged to a tall man with very blue eyes. Tsukiyo's lips curled up slightly at one side, her opposite eyebrow rising in a question.

"Forgive my abruptness. I am Murazaki Kogasu. I own this teahouse," he said, bowing very low. Tsukiyo bowed from her position, a fan snapping out in her hand to hide her face.

"I am Sakari Sakunazo. These are my friends Yoake," she said, nodding to Kaoru, "Natsuko," she said toward Misao, "and Yugure," she finished with Megumi. If he noticed that she didn't give them last names, he chose to ignore it as a point that she was the one with the highest status.

"Well, Sakari-dono, I am very pleased that you and your friends have chosen to come here this afternoon. Perhaps you would like to join me and some of my personal guests in a room more befitting of those of your rank?" he said politely, though his eyes were examining her closely. She smiled, shown by her eyes crinkling slightly.

"We do not wish to be any trouble. We only stopped in because we heard that the tea was superb. Having done so, we can only pay our due and say that what we heard of this establishment is not describable by mere words," she said, rising slowly. Kogasu offered her a hand, and bowed to her.

"You give my staff and me too much credit. Please, allow me to pay for your tea. It would be a shame for you to pay for your first drink here," he said.

Tsukiyo had gotten out her purse and was carefully counting out coins.

"Nonsense. If you are so polite to all your guests, it is a wonder you are open! I wouldn't want you to lose money on my account," she said, placing the coins on the table.

"Sakari-dono, I must insist…"

"And so must I. Perhaps I will stop by again sometime. Until then, I will pay," she said, and bowed. Megumi, Kaoru, and Misao all did the same a second later, perfectly synchronized. The allowed Tsukiyo to pass them, and followed her out.

Back at the Aoiya, Tsukiyo washed her face fervently, trying to erase all signs of her escapade. Kaoru and Misao were laughing themselves to tears at the image of Sano cracking his knuckles as men had come up to Megumi, who had flirted with them shamelessly, sending them away with their heads whirling. Megumi was sipping her tea quietly, a mischievous smile on her face as she remarked about how Kenshin had been staring at Kaoru. Kaoru blushed furiously, and Megumi took that opportunity to make a few other pointed remarks about how if Misao wasn't careful, she would be in demand by all the local boys and how Aoshi would have to be drugged to keep from murdering them all.

"Oh all of you shut up!" Tsukiyo moaned, sitting down next to them. Her hair was still down and lightly scented. "We did what we meant to do. We have made contact. Kogasu now thinks there are four beautiful, rich women in Kyoto. Now he will send people to check us out. We make a few more appearances here and there, go to a few parties of his, and get some information in doing so," she said, stretching.

"How will we get information when he's with people?" Kaoru asked, curious.

"Rumors are often slanted. By observing how he interacts with other people, we can pick apart his personality. And I've been reading people before I could walk, so there's no reason to worry that he'll pull the wool over our eyes, either," Tsukiyo said, yawning. Megumi and Kaoru stood up, thanking Misao for her cooperation. Tsukiyo smiled tiredly and bowed to Misao.

"Hopefully we'll be able to play dress up sometime soon," she said, yawning again. Misao smiled; Tsukiyo had been up early sewing the kimono's finer details on. The three women left as quietly as they had come, unnoticed by anyone other than Misao.

Sano was about to open his mouth when Megumi stuck a rice ball in it.

"Before you get mad, let me say that it was entirely my idea. Megumi went along with it only because she thought it would make it so you could save your strength for a more deserving opponent," Tsukiyo said as he choked on the rice. Megumi pounded his back, trying to open his airway.

Kenshin was smiling gently at Kaoru. "You looked very pretty in that kimono, Kaoru-dono, de gozaru yo," he said. Kaoru blushed feverishly. Yahiko nudged Kenshin in the side. 

"Now tell her you love her, Kenshin!" Kenshin turned bright red.

Hiko looked at Tsukiyo, who was still trying to get the eye shadow off.

"Did you find out anything useful?" he asked. Tsukiyo shrugged.

"Maybe. We know he owns that teahouse now. That could help later on," she said through droplets of water. She rubbed her face frantically, and then splashed water on it again.

He nodded. Tsukiyo wiped her face and looked at him. He was looking at her lazily.

"What? You've been quiet every since we got back," she said. He shrugged his shoulders, and then laughed slightly.

"You gave us a little surprise, that's all. Seeing all of you dressed up like that," he said, still watching her. Tsukiyo raised an eyebrow and sighed, grabbing a knife. He stopped her.

"What do you plan to do next?" Everyone paused, listening carefully.

"Watch. Wait. We'll see what he does. If he makes the first move, then I'll make the second," she said.

A week later, he made the first move. The night before, the four women had attended a party of his. Tsukiyo had looked fabulous in a black kimono with a jade dragon studded with the actual stones sew into it. Her only worry was that her eyes were slightly less blue than before. It seemed that was the only tip he needed. The next morning, as Misao was walking in the market, an assassin had attacked. When they caught him, he took a sip from a vial. It had smelled of bitter almonds. He had died almost instantly. He carried a message.

Kazeno Ryu's daughter: 

Reveal yourself or pay for your mistakes. I await your reply.

Tsukiyo tossed the note in the fire, watching it burn. She toyed with her long knife, sharpening it. No one had gone near her in several hours. She went over her options in her mind. She couldn't get innocents involved. She needed something that was precious to him that the destruction of which wouldn't endanger any others.

An open attack was out of the question. He would undoubtedly have guards everywhere. He knew she wouldn't dare do something so foolish…

Tsukiyo sat up straight. That was it. He was banking on her doing a spy technique of some kind. An open attack was the last thing he expected her to do because it was the first obvious choice, and her father had been reputed for striking from the shadows. She bit her lip. Timing would be critical. A good response would be needed as well. She didn't want to charge in and cause a bloodbath. She sighed. She couldn't charge in without a reason.

Footsteps rapidly approached. Tsukiyo looked up. Hiko grabbed her by the arm and started dragging her outside. She fought him for a moment, and then felt the tension in his body.

"What happened?" she asked, voice trembling a little in spite of herself. What ever it was that had been enough to shake Hiko must have been bad indeed.

            BUM BUM BUMMMMMM!!! What happened? Who did it? What is Kogasu  such a bastard? Why does Yahiko bite Sano's head? Will Hiko EVER get over himself? I'm not sure if I will ever answer these questions, but I might! Aloha oi!


	5. Chapter 5 Explanations

Sorry but this is a semi-snoozer chapter. A conflict with Kogasu but mainly explanations. GOMENNASAI!! Ks. Please R&R. I have issues with my self confidence. ^ ^ or you could just say I have a huge ego, which ever you prefere. 

The children had been playing at the Aoiya in the yard. Out of nowhere, a blade had whizzed down, hitting Kaeko in the back. She had been taken. She was alive, but just barely. Megumi had gone to the Aoiya with Yahiko and Kaoru to guard the other children.

Tsukiyo lost control of her muscles for a second. Only Hiko's grip on her arm kept her from falling on the ground. She struggled to get her legs back under her, eyes wild. Hiko felt her shivering uncontrollably.

"How dare he? How dare he involve the children?" she whispered to the grass. Hiko pulled her back up before she sank down again.

"What do you plan to do?" he asked gently. Tsukiyo noticed he was wearing his sword. Kenshin and Sano came out of the woods. She went inside to change. When she came out, her hair was tied back tightly and her chest bound. A dagger glittered in her sash while her mariki gusari spun around her waist. Her eyes were hard.

"Come on. We have work to do," she whispered softly. She started to walk towards the city. The others followed silently, faces grim.

Kogasu took a sip from his glass. He didn't normally drink wine, but perhaps tonight was a befitting occasion. He had kidnapped and possibly killed one of Kazeno Ryu's daughter's charges. Soon, the game would be his. He hadn't expected her to face him in public. The first time he had had no idea. But the second time, it wasn't even her eyes that had given her away. It was the fact that, when one of her maids or servants, or whoever they were, had tripped, she had been able to catch them so quickly. It wasn't normal for a woman to make such smooth movements in a kimono over large distances. 

"Perhaps she will attack the tea house. That would be interesting. I should double the guard. Not that she'd be able to do much damage. One little girl. Though perhaps as the battousai is here as well… I suppose I should. What a trial she is becoming, having to out-trick a trickster," he murmured, sipping his wine again. He swilled it in the cup, watching the red liquid swirl toward the edges.

Tsukiyo scaled the walls easily. Her chain wrapped around a spire. She pulled herself up, and stuck a hand down to the others, pulling her chain out of reach. She had sharpened the points on the chain; tiny steel thorns that stemmed from every point that an unknowing hand would grab.

They jumped down, dispatching of the guards quietly. Tsukiyo tied them to a tree and gagged them. Sano nodded the all clear, and they went toward the house.

Kogasu was reaching for a book when a servant burst in to his study.

"Master, there are intruders! The watch hasn't been seen anywhere!" A chain wrapped around his neck and dragged him backwards. Tsukiyo snapped her chain sharply, recalling it. Hiko, Kenshin, and Sano were searching for Kaeko, leaving her to deal with Kogasu.

Kogasu stood up, smiling.

"Ah, Tsukiyo! I must commend you; I never dreamed you would attempt this. It seemed so outside your area of comfort, being a spy's daughter," he said as if they were old friends. She growled at the insinuation that she was her father.

"Kogasu, where is the girl?"

"Oh, she's in a safe place right now. Don't you worry your pretty little head."

Tsukiyo watched as he drew a long sword. He tested the edge and cut his thumb.

"I suppose you wish to have some kind of duel. Barbaric things. But I did start up this game, and I finish what I start," he said, taking a defensive stance. Tsukiyo glared and charged, chain zipping through the air. He parried it and dodged away. He darted it, slicing at her head. She ducked and the chain coiled around his legs. She pulled him down and lashed out with the other end. He moved to the side just as it struck, leaving a deep indent in the wood. He tugged at both ends, dragging her in. She twitched what part she held, loosening him. He slashed at her, slicing through air. She was high above him, and then spiraled down, lashing with her chain. The force of the blow caught him across the chest. He crashed into the wall, and stood up shakily. He was smiling. No one who had been hit so hard could be smiling and sane.

"Well, it seems that I can't beat you this way, can I? You really are his daughter. The best at Fukusha. No surprise, after studying for all those years. I suppose I will just have to cheat, then…" a panel in the ceiling opened, and a figure in a cage came through. Tsukiyo's eyes widened, and she froze. It was Kaeko, bloody and beaten. She was crying.

"Kiyo-onee-sama, help me, please," she wailed. Kogasu smiled. A servant was thrown through the door, perhaps by Sano.

"Master, please, they are too strong…" he said, touching Kogasu's pant leg. Kogasu looked at the man, puzzled. 

"I don't recall sending for you. I am in the middle of a conversation. Please don't interrupt," he said, and neatly beheaded the man.

"Now I shall have to get the floor re-paneled. I forgot there was so much blood… oh well. It is such a trail sometimes, having underlings who are so stupid…" he said to no one in particular. He looked at Tsukiyo, and his eyes brightened. Her eyes were on the man's head, no emotion showing.

"Well, I suppose we could strike a civilized bargain, couldn't we? I for one have had more fun this evening then I have in a long time. I don't think I am quite ready for the game to end," he said, coming closer. "Wrap that thing back around your waist. Wouldn't want to risk the girl getting hurt, now would you?"

Tsukiyo did as she was bid. He stepped forward and traced her jaw with a long finger.

"It is amazing that he produced such a beautiful girl. Hmm. It's going to be a shame to have to kill you soon," he said. Pausing, he smiled. "Perhaps I should see if his daughter is really a girl after all…" and he kissed her, tongue slitting her lips. She struggled slightly, trying to keep from throwing up. His hand slid to the back of her neck digging into her scalp, his kiss growing hungry.

Kenshin-gumi walked in, seeing Kogasu's hand travel to her stomach, a glint of metal catching the eye. Tsukiyo was shuddering uncontrollably, fighting desperately for control over her emotions. He pulled back, and smiled, stroking a lock of her hair.

"You really are beautiful. I will see you another time. Till the next game," he said, and pulled the trigger on the gun that was pointed at her side. Tsukiyo jerked back, mouth opened in a soundless scream. Kaeko shrieked, clawing madly at the bars that held her.

Kogasu noticed Kenshin. "Well, it's just a regular celebrity fest this evening! I am sorry I don't have time to chat. I would love to ask you about your adventures…please take Kazeno-dono out. I will have another one of her duels with her some other time. I'll keep the girl alive. Please see yourselves out. I have some business to attend to…oh, and watch where you step. There's a man's head rolling about somewhere, can't remember where exactly…oh, never mind, it's over in the corner. Good night!"

He left the room. Hiko picked up Tsukiyo's limp body. She was gasping for air, pain shrinking her pupils to pinpricks. Sano looked after Kogasu, growling, "Ki-sama. I say we teach him some manners now…"

"We can't. Tsukiyo-dono needs attention immediately, de gozaru yo. We will have to come back," Kenshin said, voice steely. He was glaring after the man also, knuckles white around the hilt of his sakabatou. Tsukiyo grabbed his arm.

"Kaeko, where is Kaeko?" she whispered before passing out.

Tsukiyo sat up slowly, wincing at the pain in her side. A large hand steadied her as another passed her a cup of tea. It smelled awful, like herbs had been put into it. She drank it down in one gulp, stomach objecting to the foul liquid. Breathing hard, she looked around. She saw the corner of an immense mantle.

"Where is Kaeko? Where is she, shishou?" she coughed. Hiko passed her water this time.

"Drink. You're still too weak to do anything. Kogasu got you in the side. Bullet went straight through you. You lost a lot of blood," he said, not answering her original question.

She noticed. "Hiko, where is she? Where is she, Hiko?" she asked, voice trembling in the dark.

"We couldn't get to her. Kogasu said that if we didn't leave, he would kill her. He wants another fight with you to continue the 'game'."

Tsukiyo slipped back to the ground. "No…no, that can't be. Please, tell me it's a lie…" she whispered, looking at him frantically. He looked away. She threw herself at him, punching him weakly. After a few minutes her punches stopped, her body shaking with the exertion. Hiko helped her up.

"Come on. You need to relax. We'll get her back," he said.

"You swore to me, Hiko. You swore they would be safe. And now Kaeko is a prisoner of a madman, beaten and possibly raped…you promised she would be safe!" she whispered. Hiko felt her slipping down again. He picked her up like a baby. She didn't cry, but she was swallowing hard. He took her to the river and let her sink under the surface.

"Get a hold of yourself. She's not dead yet," he said as she came up for air. She steadied herself with several deep breaths, and then nodded, climbing out. He watched her steady herself against a tree.

"You have to come to terms with it sooner or later. You'll never be able to beat him if you don't stop clinging to the past," he said harshly. Tsukiyo looked up, eyes pained.

"He was able to throw you off by comparing you to your father. We heard them. You have to let it go."

"My father…my father was a good man," she whispered, fist clenching. Her eyes went out of focus for a moment, as if she were seeing something far away.

"You want to know what happened back then. I can tell. Your breathing is softer, as if you're trying to hide your eagerness. Don't. You don't have to act like you don't want to know. All you or anyone has ever had to do was ask," she whispered. Hiko flinched, surprised. None of them had ever asked because they were worried about her reaction. In hindsight, it seemed silly; Tsukiyo was always straightforward in her answers.

"Fine, then. Tell me what happened back then that made you leave your family and come to Tokyo," he said. Tsukiyo nodded, and looked at the stars.

"My father was an Imperial spymaster. During the revolution, he gained fame, money, and fortune. But that's not where it starts. It starts with my mother…

My father married young. He fell in love with a woman named Sessei. She was beautiful. They were born from good families, both owning dojos and one outside business. My paternal grandmother was a healer; my maternal grandmother was a smith. They had been childhood sweethearts. When they married, it was like a fairytale. My father was intent on a son to bear the family name. Instead, I was born. My father was disappointed at first, but then my mother got ill after my birth. In the end, he was just happy that she was alive. Events that would lead to the revolution started happening. My father took an active part during my childhood. He knew, some how, that revolution was coming. He trained me for it, making me study Fukusha and every other fighting technique he could find. My mother made me the manriki gusari, modeled after an heirloom that was to go to the first born of our house. By the time I was thirteen, my father had taught me almost everything he knew.

That was when he began to get involved. The revolution was beginning, and my father, a fukusha master, volunteered for the post of spy master. He had traveled in his youth, learning and studying different methods of fighting. He had an entire book filled with sketches and descriptions of stances and the purpose and the theory behind every attack. He could recite that entire book by memory, and so can I. He knew he wouldn't be turned down. He knew he would be away. My mother was very sick by that point. She had attempted several other births, all of them stillborn. It broke her heart that she couldn't give my father the son he wanted so badly, the son he was trying to make me. So my father's brother came to stay with us.

Where my father was a good man, my uncle was a bad one. My father never drank a drop of alcohol in his life; my uncle thrived on it. He came home more than once during those revolution years drunk. At first, we put up with it. But then he started to go after my mother, saying that my father was gone and couldn't enjoy the wonders of marriage. I tried to stop him. He beat me, and I didn't hit him out of respect for my father. After a time, I fought back. He got the message, even if he forgot it every few weeks. I protected the house and kept the village safe. I spied a few times, though my father had originally forbidden me to. He guessed, though, and never said anything about it. That was my life until my father came back and the revolution was over. The day he returned was just three days after my eighteenth birthday. It was the best present ever, and I told him so. 

I never knew if he really loved me or not. He always took things as his duty. It was his duty to protect and train his daughter, as it was his duty to take care of his brother. He loved my mother. I think she was the only person he ever really cared about.

Then, two days after he came back, he was called into town for a meeting. My uncle came home drunk. I expected to fight him away from my mother. Instead, he decided that I was old enough. He came after me. My mother tried to help me – my poor, sickly mother. Curse him, the bastard. He threw her down and beat her. She ran to get my father. She couldn't stop him; she never could, after she gave birth to me. She met my father as he was returning. He carried her back and found my uncle trying to beat me into submission. I held him off with my manriki gusari. That weapon saved my life. My father grabbed him and locked him in a room. I helped my mother clean her bruises. My father was a bit surprised that I wasn't worried about my own. I told him I had had worse. That was when he realized what had been going on for the past four years. He was angry that we hadn't told him in our letters. I told him that he had had more important things to worry about, like keeping his fighters and himself alive. If they died, then people would never be free. 

He never got over his guilt of that; failing his duty, even when he didn't. And then, eight months later, my mother died. She couldn't handle her sickness any more. She died in my father's arms. I think that was the happiest I saw her, just being held by him, listening to him talk about their time together.

Four months after that, my uncle started a bar fight. My father went to break it up and was killed by a stray knife. My uncle would have taken over the house and me. I knew he would stay at the bar over night, getting sober for his grand return. I chose to leave. I left him the money and the title. I packed my things and left. I went to live my own life, free of all ties. But somehow, I never forgot that I always had duty. I wandered for a while, making money when I could. And that's been my life until I met the children."

Hiko looked at her, and noticed her gritting her teeth, refusing to cry. He wondered if she had ever cried in her life, even when being beaten.

"I'm just like my father, no matter what you say, in the respect that I've failed. Kaeko is getting hurt and I can't do a thing to stop him…" she growled angrily. She stretched and looked at Hiko.

"You are going to help me get ready for my next fight with Kogasu. Kenshin won't fight me the way you will. Come on," she said, walking back to the house. He cocked his head. She caught it out of the corner of her eye.

"Feeling sorry isn't going to help her.  I need to get stronger. I've forgotten what it is like to fight for purpose bigger than myself," she said, voice steady.

Hiko nodded slowly and followed her back to the house. Her steps got less coordinated. She was almost to the door when she slumped to the ground, asleep. Hiko picked her up and carried her inside.

Tsukiyo watched him as he slept. She examined him; long hair, well muscled, tall. She wondered why this man was acting unusually normal around her when he was reputed to have an arrogant streak a mile wide. She was looking at his face when he opened one eye.

"Something for you?" he murmured, stretching his arms. Tsukiyo considered going back to bed but decided against it. She stood up to go outside. It was cool, and the night was quiet. She doubted she would be able to sleep next to Hiko anyway. 

His lips curved into a smile, clearly understanding her reasons for leaving. He propped himself up on an elbow, watching as she slid into her haori.

"What's the matter? Not tired anymore?" he asked, his voice sliding down her spine and making her shiver. Her eyes were half closed when she snapped them open and cursed him softly under her breath. She left the room, hearing his soft laughter resonating in the wood. 

Tsukiyo flipped the chain, relaxing slowly as her muscles recalled the old drills her father had practiced with her. Her fingers were remembering how to hold the chain without getting cut, tricks to get an especially sharp snap and ways to coil without appearing to do so. She flicked the chain, and smiled. It felt right again, holding her chain. It had been so long since she had held it with the intent to do damage. She had always held herself back, afraid of the harm she could do. But now her mind was fixed on Kaeko. She would get the girl back and if Kogasu got in her way that was too bad for him. 

She remembered the days she spent holding the chain. Her father would jump her while she was doing chores and expect her to drop what ever she was doing and go through complex dances for that normally took an experienced fighter an hour and then to finish her duties on time. She smiled to herself; her mother had always given her many short chores so she had an excuse to be late if she was tired.

All the while, her fingers were moving up and down the chain, tweaking and twitching everywhere like a harpist. She opened her eyes, and focused on the oak that stood in front of her. It was dead, but still had good wood, though no animals lived in it. She stepped back with her right foot, leaning forward on her left, swinging a majority of her chain behind her. 

She felt good. She felt strong. The chain was humming through the air behind her, singing softly. It felt right. The tree was Kogasu, and Kogasu would fall before her like this tree. She took one powerful step forward, chain snaking out like lightning. 

It lightly batted her left side. The tree stood still for a moment, and then fell, a perfect cut separating it from the trunk. She swung the chain down in a slash. An enormous rift opened in the ground where it struck, dirt flying everywhere. She dodged the stones and landed lightly.

She smiled; dawn was upon her. The day was beginning. She lifted her face to the sky and smiled, tasting the sweet sunshine.

Soft clapping reached her ears. Hiko, Sano, and Kenshin stood, nodding in approval. Tsukiyo smiled, and leaned against a tree, watching the clouds turn rosy as the sun warmed the sky.

Hiko came up behind her and patted her shoulder. She quivered, mentally berating herself; it wasn't right that she should feel this way while Kaeko was trapped. Hiko seemed very persistent. He drew her away from the others, deeper into the woods. 

"You have re-mastered your weapon. Congratulations," he said, fingering his hilt. She nodded. He drew his sword.

"Let's see how you do in a real fight. I'm not expecting a miracle," he said, smirking. She nodded, and spun the chain lightly. He slashed; she followed the path of the blade rather than try to avoid it. By doing so would have made a normal fighter stumble by trying to go after her; Hiko was not a normal fighter. He stabbed. She jumped up and away.

"You can't dodge me forever!' he pointed out. Tsukiyo shrugged, and the chain coiled around the hilt of his sword. He pulled her in. Tsukiyo remembered her last fight. Instead of fighting him, she allowed the chain to go lax and charged, jumping just out of reach and pulling him backwards. As she landed she sent the chain snapping around to his heels. He dodged it slightly, getting a nick on his ankle for her trouble. She yanked both ends away, and waited. 

They continued well into the afternoon.

Hiko nodded. "You're still sluggish. You should rest a few days. Now is the time to plan your fight."

Tsukiyo shrugged again, and split a leaf that was floating down to the ground. She leaned against a tree and sighed.

"How do I know if I'll be able to beat him?" she asked. Hiko rolled his eyes.

"You just had a training session with me. Are you suggesting that any training with myself would be anything less than perfect?" 

Tsukiyo smiled a little, and then started to laugh. She started back to the house and Hiko went with her. She didn't realize how close he was until she stopped and he went forward one extra step, bumping her. She turned around suddenly.

"Wait. There is one attack I'd like you to show me," she said, eyes burning. He looked at her.

"Why should I feel so inclined to do that?"

"Of course, Hiko Seijuro can't be expected to do so on the whims of a girl. But I heard that he was unbeatable with a certain technique; his favorite. If I was able to watch, I might be able to pick up a few tricks," she said honestly. Hiko brushed an imaginary hair back into place.

"Of course I assume that you would be able to appreciate this slightly more than the average person as you've seen a variety of styles. This is my favorite move, combining all nine fatal points and the incredible speed that is HIten Mitsurugi Ryuu's trademark. Ku Zu Ryuu Sen," he said, and then nodded for her to stand still.. Tsukiyo watched from the side as he prepared. Hiko smiled at her, eyes wicked, and drew his sword.

"Ku Zu Ryuu Sen!" he shouted. Tsukiyo barely had time to blink as he completed the attack. Tsukiyo saw rather than felt nine small cuts. He had only nicked the top layer of skin, bringing only a droplet of blood to the surface per cut. A small gale ripped through the trees, a tribute to his power. Tsukiyo bowed low, trying to remember his moves. At her request he prepared himself again and preformed it in extremely slow motion. Tsukiyo scrutinized him, memorizing every body movement and twitch. After three repetitions, the final at real speed, she nodded.

"I think I understand," she murmured, and bowed again. "If you will excuse me, I have some work to do. I thank you for your training. I hope it comes in useful," she said. She trotted off into the woods.

She sat at the base of a tree, running her chain through her hands. She couldn't manipulate her chain the way others manipulated a sword; that was typically the greatest strength of her weapon, its fluid movements and ability to do several things at once. But with a sword that attack was possible. With a chain, she might be able to, but only with years of intense training for that single goal. She didn't have that time. 

She flicked the chain at a dummy, watching one end wrap around its neck, the diamond flicking both biceps. A nice trick to make the opponent drop a pole arm. She smirked at the thought of wrapping the dummy with her chain. She jerked up right, and looked at her chain in amazement.

"Could I do it? I have enough chain, but it would be very hard. But there in lies the simplicity…" she whispered, and stood up. She would need more wood to make the dummy as tall as Kogasu, and would have to add room for error. But if she could get it right…

Tsukiyo went in the forest to chop some trees.

Tee hee! I promise we get some T&H action – sorry but I am a sap ^ ^V any way, what will happen to Kaeko? 


	6. Chapter 6 Sever the Ties

ALOHA! Blek! Yet another chapter, but this one actually has some action (!0. I do not, have not, and will not own Rurouni Kenshin (;_;).  Ok, here it is!

Kenshin looked up in surprise as Tsukiyo came back, smiling. He noticed healing sores on her hands, but chose not to say anything. She reached for a change of clothes and headed for the spring.

Tsukiyo was tying on her binding when she noticed a shape approaching. From the outline it was Hiko in his enormous mantle. She sighed and continued drying her hair.

Hiko was a bit surprised to see her sitting at the edge in only her binding and pants. She typically acted more modest than that. Either she didn't care or she was thinking of other things. He walked quietly and was about to grab her shoulders when the chain flicked up and batted his cheek.

"It's not nice to try and scare people, shishou," she said conversationally. Hiko smiled and sat down next to her. 

"What do you plan to do now? Attack in four days?" he asked, slipping his mantle off. He clearly meant to bathe here whether or not she watched.

"Don't know why I should wait. I was thinking more of two nights," she said, combing another section of her thick hair. Hiko paused his folding of his mantle to look at her.

"I didn't think you'd want to go back so soon," he said, starting to work on his shirt. Tsukiyo ignored him, though her eyes were closed more.

"That's why it will work. I'm going in the same time, too. Except I think I'll knock. He should find it extremely funny if I ask for a second chance at our little game. He'll be off his guard, thinking I'm mad with anger," she said easily. 

"I don't see why you don't just kill the bastard and be done with it," Hiko growled. From the rustle of cloth he was folding his shirt. 

"I won't kill until I have to," she said slowly. "Would you have me a killer?" she asked.

Hiko's voice was oddly hoarse when he replied. "I've killed. You think I would care if you did over this? I'd have killed him long ago, but you and your stupid notions about honor and duty…" he said. Tsukiyo looked at him, startled. She swallowed hard. He looked incredible with out his shirt on. He was very well muscled, though she wasn't looking there at the moment. She was looking at his eyes. They were intense, glowing with a strange light. She felt a warm burst in her stomach when he looked at her like that. She blushed.

"They're not stupid," she said mulishly. Hiko smirked.

"Maybe not, but you take them too seriously sometimes," he said, refusing to dim his eyes or look away. Tsukiyo felt her body tremble with eagerness. His grin widened, understanding. He leaned in close, bending her back until she was on the ground. He stretched out next to her, waiting for her pulse to slow down. When it did, he leaned over her, supporting himself with an arm, and bent down, his hair tickling her nose. He looked at her closely, and liked what he saw. Then he kissed her.

Tsukiyo gasped as his lips glided smoothly on top of hers, tongue seeking and obtaining entrance. As he explored her with his tongue, she felt her body respond. Her arms wrapped around his neck, fingers stroking his long hair and curling under his ponytail at the base of his neck.

She had been kissed before, but never so thoroughly. And the kisser had never been Hiko. He sensed her hesitation and moved back slightly. She followed him, tentatively at first but then made bolder by his lips that kept trying to smile. After a while he moved down to her throat, kissing the nerve endings. She felt him suck redness to the surface, suddenly eager. She pushed against him. She felt his lips smirk into her skin. She kissed his hairline, her hands moving to his broad shoulders. His muscles rippled in ecstasy at her touch. She explored his torso further, her light touch gliding torturously over his chest and back.

Hiko pinned her hands above her head, and then bit her neck lightly. She arched back, soft murmurs of approval escaping her neglected lips. He tested her again, harder. She moaned softly, hands escaping his grip, fingers curling tighter in his hair, urging him to continue. He did so, then returned to her mouth, and found her waiting. Tsukiyo tipped her head back, gasping slightly. He followed her, kissing her neck. He traveled down, and then rested his head on top of her binding. Her fingers flicked his hair, her eyes half closed. One of his hands traveled to her back, searching for the knot.

Tsukiyo shook her head, grabbing his hand. Hiko sent her a questioning look. She propped herself up on her elbows.

"No. I'm not ready," she whispered, eyes dilated and gleaming. Hiko shrugged and rolled onto his side so he could watch her. She did the same, eyes refusing to blink. She looked so innocent – it occurred to him that in a way, she was. He smiled when she reached out to brush back a piece of his long hair. He caught her hand and kissed the underside of her arm. She allowed herself to be dragged into his muscular arms and curled against his chest, lifting her mouth to kiss his. After a few minutes she broke away, and he was content simply to watch her.

She got up reluctantly and reached for her haori. He gave it to her and prepared for his bath. She turned to ask him a question and was caught in his mouth. She felt her pulse hammering in her ears, and broke away after a few endless minutes. He sighed, looking her up and down, clearly imagining her in a less than chaste manner. She blushed and picked up her chain. She wasn't sure what she could say to him. She looked up at him, and saw no words were needed. She went to the house to get some sleep and he took his bath.

If Kenshin or Sano noticed her slightly disheveled appearance, they chose not to remark on it. They did have something to say when she told them she would be attacking in two nights.

"Are you sure that is a good idea? It would do no good to go rushing into battle, de gozaru yo," Kenshin said, worried. 

"Shut up, Kenshin. As long as we're invited I can't complain," Sano said, chewing on a long blade of grass. Tsukiyo smiled her gratitude.

"How do you plan to beat him? He might try to cheat again," Kenshin said. She looked away.

"I'm ready," she said, standing up. She brought a blanket outside and curled up, eyes dropping. 

Hiko came back, dripping from his bath. Tsukiyo had long since fallen asleep, her blanket not really covering her. He moved it into a better position and ruffled her hair before walking inside to see if there was any sake left.

Tsukiyo was up before dawn. She went to the river and sat, focusing on her fight. She breathed deeply. She wouldn't risk the others. She was fairly sure they could take care of themselves, but she didn't want any strings attached to this fight. She could only do what she set out to do if they showed up at the last second.

The idea had been in the back of her mind ever since she had woken up. Hiko's display of affection last night complicated matters, but she couldn't allow herself to be sidetracked. Not from duty.

She smiled to herself. There she went again, turning into her father. The very least she could give him was a fitting end to his line.

It was dusk before she knew it. She went back to the house, and opened the sake she had been saving for one last party. They all met up Kaoru, Megumi, and Yahiko as they went to the Aoiya for the evening. Kenshin poured Kaoru a drink; it was a unforgivable mistake. She was unstable the rest of the night. Megumi and Sano went through periods of arguing and brushing hands, a memory of when Tsukiyo had first seen them in a social setting together. Yahiko was the object of Kaoru's emotional outbursts, while Kenshin tried to placate her, often getting slapped, hit, and throttled for his troubles. Misao sat with the children, keeping them in order. Aoshi was no where to be found.

Tsukiyo poured the sake for Hiko, the slight flashes of skin and light blushes giving her away. She filled and refilled his cup constantly, never leaving him unattended. 

It was very late when the last of them fell asleep. She was certain, because she pretended to trip, and no one did anything. Kenshin would have helped her, Sano would have woken up, and Hiko would have made a comment about her clumsiness. She finished putting away the dishes and looked at them all. Her throat caught, and she had to bite her tongue to keep from doing anything. She changed and left a note pinned in the door. She hung a bell that would ring when the fire burned down from lack of heat. That would wake them up. She took one last shuddering breath, and left.

As she slipped out of the gates, she jerked as a long shadow next to her spoke.

"Don't lose," said Aoshi. Tsukiyo nodded her thanks and left.

Kogasu smiled as she kicked open his door. "Well, this is a surprise! I expected to see your friends to be with you when you returned. I certainly didn't expect you here so soon, so I'm afraid you caught me a bit unprepared. Please, come in," he said, for all the world a bumbling host.

"Would you like something to eat? A drink, perhaps? Oh, forgive me – you don't drink alcohol. Not since your uncle, I believe."

Tsukiyo nodded the affirmative. He smiled, and sat down to his glass of wine.

"I normally don't drink myself, but I find I enjoy a strong glass of red wine before a fight. It seems to add to the excitement," he said. He raised his glass in a toast. "May you always be sharp, Kazeno-dono," he said, and sipped delicately. 

Tsukiyo leaned forward on the table. "Last time we fought on your terms. I would like to make a few of my own. If I win, I take the girl and myself out of here and you leave any and all parties involved alone for the rest of your natural life. You will instruct any and all of those who are loyal to you to follow your example. If I lose, which will only be by my death, you will let the girl leave and once again disregard any and all parties involved in this and instruct any and all those loyal to you to do the same, as you are a sporting man. Agree to these terms and I will fight you," she said calmly.

Kogasu smiled slightly. "Well, you are certainly leaving nothing to chance, are you? Very well. It is a civil agreement, and a sensible one. Likewise, your friends shall not come after me for this incident. If later quarrels arise, which they won't on my part, they may do as they wish. I assume you've brought a draft?"

Tsukiyo pushed a slip of paper across the table. He nodded and signed it, adding the portion he mentioned. She signed it as well after looking at what he had written. 

Kogasu got up and stretched. "Well, now that that's taken care of, I suppose we can get on with the game! If you don't mind, I would like to fight you outside. It's too beautiful a night to be inside," he said, bowing her outside. She nodded regally and followed him to the gardens.

Yahiko shifted uneasily. He had the sneaking suspicion Kaoru had been involved in the cooking. He got up and was about to relieve himself when he saw the note. The fire was halfway to burning itself out. He shook Kenshin awake roughly, babbling about the note. Kenshin read it, and nudged Sano. Sano growled, waking up Kaoru, who screamed from a nightmare, which woke up Megumi who then went to ready her medicines, which woke up Misao who woke up the children who then tried to braid Hiko's hair until Ayame ran away, tripping over Hiko who told them he didn't appreciate the make over (in harsher terms, of course). After reading the letter, they spoke not a word and left as quickly as possible.

Tsukiyo stretched her back, slowly warming up. She had jogged the way here, but that wasn't really enough for what she was going to do. Kogasu watched her curiously, as if the novelty of one stretching to prepare ones self for a match was unheard of. When she finished, he raised his blade. She swung her chain, and waited.

Kogasu charged in first, slashing at her quickly. He expected some retaliation. He received none. She avoided his attacks easily, her mind focused on a point. Her eyes were cold, taking in his every move. She read his muscles, predicting his moves before he made them.

Kogasu jumped out of range and applauded her politely. "Very nice! You've improved a great deal…or did you just remember how to fight? No matter. This game is shaping up quite nicely!"

Tsukiyo smiled and prepared for the next onslaught.

Yahiko glared at Sano. He was getting tired of being thrown into walls of guards preparing to fire guns. Sano insisted it was for the good of them all, but Yahiko seriously doubted that. Kenshin was looking around carefully, alert for any movement in the gardens. The soft clang of metal reached their ears. They took a hidden path to the noise.

Tsukiyo was now on the offensive. Kogasu was blocking her strikes easily. She wasn't putting much effort into them. She wanted to be sure of how fast he was. Her chain encircled his hilt. She flicked her wrist, causing the stone to chuck him under the chin. He jerked, eyes suddenly blazing. He understood now that she was teasing him. She flipped her fingers, twirling the chain back to her hands. He stepped back, taking a defensive stance. They both paused, hearing footsteps. Thinking it was guards, Tsukiyo took a stance almost identical to that which Hiko had taken when showing her his favorite technique. 

Kenshin stopped in his tracks, eyes wide. Hiko seemed to have forgotten how to breathe. All eyes were trained on the lone figure who was staring down the man who had caused so much trouble.

"I got this idea from a friend and adapted it. I think you'll enjoy it," she said, and started a complex chain dance. She skipped from side to side, just avoiding breaking an ankle. The air first started a low hum, and then rose to a shriek. She suddenly disappeared.

"Kakumu Kaze!" She shouted. Everyone watching jerked. Hiko began to smile. The idea was that one twitch would strike all nine fatal points. She did just that as the chain settled in place. Kogasu collapsed, unconscious. 

Now that he was still, they could examine her handy work. The chain was tightly wound around him. It was neat, with no blood or broken bones. She recalled the chain, roughing him up a little. She wound it back around her waist, and then turned to the group. She swayed a little, and then smiled. Kaeko was in Kenshin's arms, asleep. She ran to them, pausing just out of reach of the girl, watching to be sure she was safe. When she assured herself of that fact, she looked at the others. They each had different reactions, most of which were to berate her for not taking them along. She ignored them and held Kaeko as if she were a baby, tension seeping out of her body

Kaeko wriggled slightly, and yawned. Tsukiyo waited, breathless, and Kaeko opened her eyes.

"Kiyo-nee-chan!" she said, scrambling to hug her. Tsukiyo laughed wetly, hugging her back. Kaeko sobbed into her shoulder. "I thought you were going to die when you came to save me, nee-chan! I thought you were dead and he would keep me forever and ever…" her voice rose into hysterics. Tsukiyo rocked her back and forth.

_She's clean_, she thought. _New clothes, bandages, salves, the best money could buy…_

"It's ok, Kaeko. I'm here. And look, we even brought you an escort home," she said gently. Kaeko looked at them all, and ran, sobbing, to his utter embarrassment, Yahiko.

"Yahiko-sama, whhhyyy did you leave me? I thought you would try to save me too, but you didn't…" Yahiko blushed to the roots of his hair. Sano burst out laughing.

"Yahiko-sama? Got a girl friend now, huh?"

"SHUT UP SANO!" Yahiko yelled, and jumped on his head, trying to bite it off.

This distraction left Tsukiyo to thank Kenshin.

"Arigatogozaimasu, Kenshin-sama," she said, bowing deeply. "I wasn't sure where she was. I was afraid I would have to tear apart the house looking for her."

"Don't thank me. Sessha is quite fond of her, and it is wrong to kidnap children," he said, smiling. Tsukiyo gave him a one armed hug and then turned to Hiko.

"That was very stupid, you know. You should've brought us with you. There was no need to get them all drunk and try to deceive me. What would you have done if the guards shot at you, or tried to stop you, or you couldn't find Kaeko?"

"Kogasu may be a thief, but he has his own code of honor. Play to win. If he loses, he will lose honorably, because he will have no one saying that he was disgraced _completely. I was banking on that, and he gave me a verbal invitation. Who am I to refuse?" she said, watching as Kaoru beat up Yahiko for biting Sano, Yahiko screaming insults at her. She looked at her feet, suddenly self conscious. "What did you think of my surprise?" she asked shyly._

Hiko smiled at her hesitant manner. "Obviously you were inspired by seeing the best at work," he said, resting a hand on her shoulder. She grinned slightly.

Yahiko had escaped Kaoru. "Hey, Tsukiyo-san! That guy's wakin' up!"

"I was wondering when he would. It wasn't a hard jerk," she said, rolling her shoulders. She walked over to Kogasu and kneeled down by him.

"Well, I won, fair and square. I am taking Kaeko and we are leaving. Don't try and follow us," she ordered. Kogasu nodded, his head down. She stood up and had turned to go when a shot rang through the air. Kogasu moved behind Tsukiyo, and jerked. 

A guard stood, frowning, from a window in the mansion. He paused, and then yelled, "Intruders! The guest has murdered Lord Kogasu! To the gardens!" He disappeared. Kogasu struggled to stay on his feet. Tsukiyo swallowed hard as a red blossom came to the surface of his shirt.

"I swear… didn't know. Ordered… away…from this place," he wheezed, breathing painfully. "Get out…now. They will…kill you…kill me… father hates to lose," he said, staggering forward. Megumi caught him. Blood trickled down her hands. He was dead. Megumi let out a strangled gasp. Kaoru hugged Yahiko to her, shielding him from the view of the dead man.

Tsukiyo looked at the man who had caused so many problems, and yet died with honor, keeping his word. Her nerves hummed. Her mind felt oddly distant from her body. In a daze, she unwound her chain again and seemingly floated down the path, her eyes following the scampering shadows. Behind her, only twenty feet though it seemed like miles, the others noticed. Yahiko escaped Kaoru's clutches and yelled after her. She didn't hear him. She was listening to the soft patter of footsteps drawing closer, the tightly controlled breathing half hidden by the ripples of wind through the leaves. She saw a glint in a tree; no leaf glinted in such a metallic way. She moved to the side as if controlled by strings, her body loose. A bullet nipped the spot where she had stood only seconds before.

Another shot came from her left; she dodged again, her lithe frame moving as if she were dancing. Her chain mimicked her movements with more purpose; it would dart in and out, guns clattering to the ground, shorn in half and useless. 

From his position, Kenshin noticed a subtle change. Her eyes often lightened and darkened, depending on her mood. But now, they were like pale glass, devoid of any feeling. He recognized that fatal stare as one he had used throughout the revolution.

"Kaoru-dono, get Megumi-dono, Yahiko, and Kaeko away from here!" he barked, hand resting on his hilt. Kaoru looked at him, concerned. Kenshin saw a slight wetness glazing her eyes. She didn't hug him tightly or any of her normal outbursts. She just nodded, touching his hand lightly as she passed. That more than anything told him how worried she was.

Megumi glared at Sano, and then walked away. It wasn't until they had almost gone that her she yelled, "If you get yourself killed I'll never forgive you." 

Kenshin, Sano, and Hiko began walking toward the fight.

Tsukiyo had long since abandoned her trancelike state. Her eyes were hard as she lashed out with her manriki-gusari. Men lay on the ground, some nursing broken bones, others bleeding but unfortunately conscious. Tsukiyo darted in, her chain wrapping around one man's neck cruelly. She wanted so much to kill them, to let go of all the pain that swelled in her, threatening to drown her. She fought it, though she knew she was loosing. Her movements were coming closer and closer to killing their targets. She snapped her chain, releasing the man, who was gasping for air. She turned to the next person, coming to a decision. She would have to end this. Her life wasn't much weighed against theirs, but it would suffice. She just needed one attack. The second she felt a man's life slip away from her, she would put it into action.

Subconsciously, perhaps this was her intent all along. The children were being cared for. Her past had been revealed. No more bonds held her, no more duty. Toshio and Aki had gotten along fine without her at the Aoiya, and it was her fault Kaeko had even been caught. All because she had ignored the signs and come to Kyoto anyway.

No more duty meant she was free. All her life, she had been searching for that freedom. Even now, she restrained herself. All she had to do was to let go, and it would be over.

Sano picked up his pace. He saw the change in her fighting style; less conservative, more precise. Her body language gave it away as well; her control was slipping. The guards were closing in, Tsukiyo's chain lashing out, only a slight blur in the air. She had decided to die, and die fighting with all she had.

Tsukiyo felt a bullet nick her arm. She ignored it and fought on, her chain winding around a man's hand and twitching viciously. The man screamed as his wrist snapped easily. Tsukiyo fought back, willing them, or just one of them, to shoot her through her heart. She dodged back, and was shocked to find tears streaming down her face.

She hated this. She had always hated death. Death had cheated her of a normal childhood, killing her mother slowly but surely. These men were not and could never reach her skill in fighting, and she hated herself and them for it. She could continue on while they would drop at her chain. They would be killed for failing to kill her. She knew it, and saw it in their eyes as they fought harder with strength born of desperation.

Her body slowed down. A sword stabbed at her side; another slashed her in the back. Her hair loosened, slipping in loose tendrils around her shoulders, stained with her blood. She looked at them sadly, and they understood.

Kenshin's heart almost stopped when he saw her lower her defenses. Hiko's face was stunned and drawn. Tsukiyo looked over the enclosing blades and looked at them each in the eyes, conveying a different message to each.

Sano felt her sadness at not being able to know him better, and gratitude for his equal treatment of her.

Kenshin felt her thanks for his understanding, for allowing her to heal somewhat, and begged his understanding one more time.

Hiko saw the depth of emotion in her face, her concern, her resolution, her regret at not having a chance, and her love. Her love for the children still untainted by the world, of the wild places and free spaces, of the people who had welcomed her so readily, and of him. Of his arrogance, his sly comments, his shameless flirtation, his pride, and the hidden kindness revealed to only a chosen few. He had never had such a thorough and accurate examination. She blinked, and smiled slightly.

Her lips moved. Sano jerked as he read them.

"Tell them I love them. This is my final duty," he said, voice choked. Kenshin saw her open her arms to the blades, conveying the message of understanding to all of the men who had to kill her. One blade began its descent.

Hiko blocked it, metal jangling harshly. He grabbed her roughly and darted away. Kenshin and Sano followed them into the darkness, heading toward Hiko's sanctuary.

Tsukiyo sat up, face bleak. Once again, death had cheated her, this time denying her. She closed her eyes, holding her head.

"How long have you been there?" she murmured. Kenshin shifted in the darkness.

"Only a few minutes. Shishou needed to sleep. He's been here for many nights," he said softly. Tsukiyo nodded.

"Why did you stop me? I have done my duty. I just want rest. Those men will be executed now…" she said to her hands.

"The police arrived later. Apparently Murazaki had shady dealings. He was arrested and is under suspicion for several other unexplained cases," he reassured her. She nodded, and sighed.

"You should not have been in such a hurry to die. You would have left four very unhappy children who would have hated you and loved you for ever after," he said. Tsukiyo didn't reply. He continued. "You were right in assuming that the children will probably stay here in Kyoto with Misao. Aki has adapted incredibly to the teachings at the Aoiya. Toshio is learning medicine from Megumi. Kaeko is an aspiring chef, for all her experience. You would leave them just as their dreams were succeeding, making them forget why they love to do those things?"

"I would have them live happy lives without any connection to me. I am worse than a murderer. I wanted blood that night, Himura. I wanted so much to loose my purity that night. What I fought to protect so long I was so eager to destroy…" she said, eyes blank.

"So you wanted to die. Yet even then, you wanted those men to live. You were willing to die for them, but you are not willing to defend yourself. Sessha was like that for a time. But you must learn to value your life as well. Without you, the children would have died. If you died, who would be there to make sure Misao raised them right?" he asked. Tsukiyo looked away.

"So you chose the cowards way out, is that it?" he asked, voice quiet. She jerked. "Sessha never thought you would take that path. You always placed so much of a person's credibility on their honor. Wasn't that why you wanted to fight those men? For killing Kogasu, who had died with honor?"

Tsukiyo blinked hard. All of his words struck a chord in her because she knew they were true.

"Sessha doesn't believe you are a coward. Your willingness to die for them proves that. And at the same time, your eagerness to die suggests otherwise. How confusing you are," Kenshin said, smiling slightly. Tsukiyo looked at him, and swallowed hard. He understood. He really _understood._

"Thank you," she whispered throatily. Kenshin nodded and stood up, preparing to leave.

"Shishou-sama will be waking up soon. If you want to leave, be it for an hour, a day, or many years, I suggest you make a note and then leave after. I will say your goodbyes if you do not return by dawn," he said, pausing in the doorway. Tsukiyo nodded, already gathering her belongings that had been placed next to her bed.

Tsukiyo looked over the treetops at the misty hills. Golden sunlight was bringing forth a shining haze, beams of light hanging in the air. Birds sang softly, wind floating around her. She smiled; this was what she had needed for so long. Her chain was braided into her hair; she carried a jo that was longer than normal – about five feet tall -in her hand, using it to lever herself over rocks and test the ground.

She had been moving steadily away from Kyoto and going north since the moon was in the center of its nightly journey. It was a long way to travel, but she kept up her pace, leaving no trail.

She leaned against a tree, and paused. Taking out her dagger, she carved into the bark a symbol for freedom. She smiled to herself and kept moving. 

Tee hee. Done at last. I dunno about the title. I think I should of left it for a later chapter, but o well. Thanx 4 reading.


End file.
